Hundreds of Lewisham children in care are placed in homes out of the borough, including as far away as the Isle of Anglesey and Bridgend, Wales.

Lewisham Council contracts 35 companies to house children in care.

Of the 469 children in care, 291, or 62 per cent, are housed outside of the borough.

The majority of those are placed in nearby boroughs, notably Croydon which has 32 children aged between 10 and 19, Greenwich which was 14 children aged nine or less and 24 children aged 10 to 19, and Bromley which has 21 children aged between 10 and 19 as well as 11 children aged nine or less.

Lewisham Council director of children and young people, Sara Williams, has previously raised concerns the council was having to place children across the country, particularly those with high-end needs.

Concerns have also been raised nationally that children are being housed away from their community because of a lack of choice in provision.

A Lewisham Council spokesperson said there was a number of a reasons, including access to specialists, why a child might be housed outside of the borough.

They said the council had “robust” procedures in place to ensure a child’s safety and wellbeing once they were placed outside of the borough.

“Our priority is to always ensure the safety and wellbeing of children in our care, whose lives and support needs by definition are very complex.  While we aim to place a child as close to their home as possible, it is not always appropriate or possible for a number of reasons including safeguarding concerns or the need for specialist provision to meet the child’s needs.

“We have robust processes in place to scrutinise every decision to place a child out of borough and to monitor that child to ensure their continued safety and wellbeing.”