Taxpayers will never know how much of their money was given as a pay off to the head of a failing department.

Stephen Richards' departure as executive head of Sutton Council's children and families department is still shrouded in mystery a year on.

Last May, a scathing Ofsted report into how the borough looked after its most vulnerable children outlined "managerial oversight at all levels" and found "the overall effectiveness of safeguarding services is inadequate".

Two days after the report was published, Stephen Richards, executive head of children and families, quit his job.

The Sutton Guardian has submitted two freedom of information (FoI) requests to find out how much Mr Richards was given as a settlement when he left refused.

Now, the Information Commissioner, the final port of call for FoI appeals, has also refused to make the council disclose the information.

Last year, neighbouring Kingston Council was forced to reveal it had paid Duncan Clark, Mr Richard's counterpart at Kingston Council, £128,000, when he resigned over a similarly scathing Ofsted report.

In Sutton, of the 22 areas in the Ofsted safeguarding report, the council was deemed adequate in 16, inadequate in four, and in only two areas was it seen as good.

Kingston saw seven areas deemed inadequate, 13 adequate and two deemed good.

Tolis Vouyioukas, the council's strategic director of children, young people and learning services, who was brought in after a scathing Ofsted report last year, is paid £104,909 including pension contributions.

A spokesman for the information commissioner, said: "In this case I would consider the information in question to be the personal data of Stephen Richards and that there would not be an expectancy that it would be disclosed."

Jonathan Isaby, political director of the TaxPayers’ Alliance, said: "If you resign from a job in the private sector, you don't get a pay-off, yet far too often in the public sector we see people being given taxpayer-funded golden goodbyes - even if they have departed under a cloud.

Sutton residents should not only have the right to know the value of any pay-off given to Mr Richards, but also whether he was subject to a compromise agreement."

A spokesperson said: "As we said when Stephen left last year, it is with regret that we announce Stephen Richards, Executive Head of Children and Families has decided to leave the council in order to pursue fresh challenges. We would like to take this opportunity to thank Stephen for his hard work and wish him all the best for the future.

"We decline to comment any further."