A CAMPAIGN group has lost a High Court fight after complaining about children in council care being placed in facilities outside their home area.

The Good Law Project had taken legal action against four local authorities, including West Sussex County Council, and Education Secretary Nadhim Zahawi.

The other local authorities were Cambridgeshire County Council, Derby City Council and Essex County Council.

Lawyers representing the organisation said statutory duties to provide sufficient “in area” accommodation were not being complied with.

They said in 2020, nearly four out of every 10 children in care were placed outside their local authority area.

But on Tuesday, a judge dismissed the Good Law Project’s claim after a High Court hearing in London.

Mr Justice Choudhury concluded that the organisation did not have an arguable case.

Lawyers representing the councils and the government had disputed the claim.

Under the Children Act 1989, councils are obliged to find placements for looked-after children in accommodation "within the local authority's area" unless that is "not reasonably practicable".

A House of Commons report found more than 30,000 children entering the care system were placed outside of their local authority area - about 40 per cent of the total number.