Surrey County Council (SCC) should be praised for its “courage” in 'inviting' inspectors to assess its failing children’s services, according to Mole Valley’s Conservative MP.

Sir Paul Beresford said Conservative-run SCC asked the watchdog to complete the assessment, which took place in October and November.

The rival Liberal Democrats have described the report as a shocking wake-up call for the council.

From today: "Widespread and serious failures" in protecting troubled children by Surrey County Council, says damning Ofsted report

But Sir Paul said: “SCC invited Ofsted in months ago and the report has just come out.

“The county council has sat down with Ofsted and taken their complaints, the good points and the bad, and got stuck in to do something about it which is what I want.

“We have to recognise they had some experts in there and they got off their hobby horse and got moving.

“It takes courage.”

From 2008: Ofsted: Surrey County Council "inadequate" at keeping children safe

Sir Paul added: “This report is negative but the positive side is they are going to do something about.

“If in a couple of years, the inspectors find there are the same problems again, there will be big noise and a lot of trouble.”

The MP, who said he had worked extensively on the issue of child protection over a number of years, said people needed to be open to accepting that child abuse does happen in affluent areas such as Surrey.

He said: “The one thing 'Jim [Savile] has fixed' is he’s woken people up. 

“A lot of the work I have done has been with the Metropolitan Police in inner cities where people have become very aware very quickly.

“The Metropolitan Police and other agencies have been battling to recognise that the beautiful, green Surrey isn’t devoid of child abusers or paedophiles. 

"And it has been a shock to some that it does happen in this area.

“We don’t have the sort of Rotherham problems as far as we know.”

He said he was still working with the Metropolitan Police on developing proposals for legislation to clamp down on child pornography available on the internet, but believed educating children as to the risks of using the internet was also necessary.

“There used to be the old thing about don’t take sweets from strangers,” said Sir Paul.

“These young people are really vulnerable and unaware when putting these ludicrous selfies on the internet that they’re actually waiting for paedophiles to pick them up.

“Lots of education is needed and I will be talking to the Education Secretary on this.”