A committee of the General Social Care Council (GSCC) heard Alan Carr, from St Helens, was a social worker for St Helens Council and had formed a relationship with a 16-year-old girl whilst she was living in a children's home.

At the hearing on April 25 the Committee heard the relationship, which began in 1987, included physical contact, hugging and kissing.

He then had a sexual relationship with the woman from 1988, when she turned 17, and after she ceased to be in care. The relationship ended in 1997.

Carr was a social worker in St Helens from April 1985 to December 1988 and left the council to move to another local authority.

The allegations came to light through a member of staff and the council reported the matter to the police.

The council also referred the matter to the GSCC. At the hearing, during which the woman gave evidence against Carr, the Committee also heard he pressurised her to retract a statement she'd made to social services about their relationship.

The Committee concluded the woman was a very vulnerable child in care when Carr began his inappropriate and subsequently sexual relationship with her and this was a clear breach of his position of trust and duty of care as her social worker. Carr denied the allegations.

The Committee said Carr's behaviour had been "fundamentally incompatible" with being a registered social worker and they felt there was no other way to protect the public other than removal.

Sir Rodney Brooke, chair of the GSCC, said: "It's vital that the public can have confidence and trust in the social work profession and removing unsuitable people from the workforce is one way of achieving this.

A spokesperson for St Helens Council said: "St Helens Council supports the GSCC in addressing any situation where staff's conduct is unacceptable and falls below the standard expected."