A damning report into Surrey's children's services has been released, finding children are suffering domestic abuse because of failings in the system.

The county council "totally accepts" the services are not good enough, and said it is beginning to take steps to improve.

Ofsted inspectors said although the council is making progress, senior leaders and councillors were "far too slow" to react to their previous findings in a 2014 report, and have rated the services "inadequate".

The report stated that despite repeated assessments over many years, children are still experiencing neglect, often being exposed to domestic abuse, and are left vulnerable to short and long-term risks to their health and development.

A new executive director for children, families and learning was brought in on April 30, to try to turn the services around.

Surrey's cabinet member for children, Clare Curran, said: “We totally accept that the support we give to children and their families simply isn’t good enough and we’ve brought in one of the country’s most highly-respected children’s services directors, Dave Hill, to spearhead the changes we need to make.

“Ofsted recognises we have started the work but much more needs to be done and with Dave in place, we’ll build on this, so that support for children in Surrey is as good as it possibly can be.”

The report mentions this, stating "the likelihood of long-overdue improvements gaining the necessary momentum is now greater than at any point since the 2014 inspection."

The Liberal Democrat opposition lamented the "lost years" for children in the council's care.

New leader Councillor Chris Botten said: "The publication today of the Ofsted report into Surrey's children's services makes difficult reading, and tells of a slow, almost dilatory approach to improvement since the last Ofsted inspection.

"I agree that the right leadership and governance arrangements are now in place to make rapid progress, but am concerned about the lost years for the children in our care. Surrey County Council has been far too slow to recognise the urgent need for modernisation and improvement."