TAXI drivers hired to take vulnerable Sandwell children to school were feared to have been working under modern day slavery conditions, it has emerged.

Sandwell Council has agreed to put in place a short term contract  to ensure children with special educational needs have school transport provided for the new term.

A special cabinet meeting on Wednesday (July 21) heard this was being done as a review into a decision to award long term deals to a former employee is carried out.

But the meeting was also told complaints had been received which alleged staff at unnamed companies taken on by Sandwell Council were subjected to poor pay and conditions.

Anonymous reports of modern day slavery were received in October and December last year prompting investigations by authorities.

Children’s Services executive director Lesley Haggar said Sandwell’s Slavery and Human Trafficking Operational Partnership (SHOP) reviewed and concluded there was “no reason to escalate these concerns”.

She added evidence found some staff were receiving very poor wages but, as they were classed as self-employed “this would not fit under labour exploitation so there was very little that agencies under SHOP could do.”

Operators have been warned that a new ‘dynamic purchasing system’ to award contracts will expect higher standards from them.

The awarding of new contracts for SEN school transport has already caused controversy in Sandwell.

Last month, the cabinet was expected to endorse a decision to choose two companies – North Birmingham Travel and County Cars – run by former council employee Azeem Hafeez to take on four four-year contracts worth over £20 million.

Mr Hafeez is also the son of former Sandwell Council deputy leader Mahboob Hussain and both were named in the Wragge Report of 2016 on land deals at the authority.

Authority leader Rajbir Singh intervened after strong objections were made by opposition Conservative councillors and deferred the issue pending an internal review into how the decisions were made.

The matter was also raised in parliament by both West Bromwich East MP Nicola Richards and leader of the house Jacob Rees-Mogg.

The interim arrangement agreed by cabinet will see current operators continue to provide SEN school transport from September to February.

Councillor Karen Simms, cabinet member for best start in life, said: “It is important we can make a decision that gives confidence to families that they will have school transport in place for the start of the next academic year.”