MORE than two in every three children leaving care are placed in squalid bed and breakfasts by budget-stripped councils, a charity revealed yesterday.

In an undercover investigation, children’s charity Barnardo’s discovered that the Department for Education’s (DfE) figures have failed to record the over 800 young people placed in B&Bs rather than permanent accommodation.

It is believed that half of the councils in England are repeatedly placing care leavers in B&Bs, often for more than 28 days.