A row flared today over the decision to keep secret part of the results of a top-level investigation into the handling of the case of murdered three-year-old Black Country boy Ryan Lovell-Hancox by care workers and other support staff.

Wolverhampton City Council Labour leader Roger Lawrence attacked the decision of the Wolverhampton Safeguarding Children Board not to publish in full the Serious Case Review of the tragedy.

He said of their intention to only make public its conclusions: “My gut feeling is that this is a mistake and suggests there is something to hide.

“There may well have been a series of cumulative small errors made and there will, no doubt, be lessons that can be learned.

“I have had a private briefing on the case and my view is that they should publish the full overview report.

“It would be far better if they were completely open and did this voluntarily rather than being forced into it, but if this does not happen I will have to consider whether it would be appropriate to go further and call for the full disclosure.

“At the moment they are following the letter but not the spirit of the law, especially as their colleagues in Birmingham have this week published the full review into the death of seven-year-old Khyra Ishaq.” She starved to death seven months before the murder of Ryan and the reviews into both cases were covered by the same rules.

Mrs Jan Toplis, spokeswoman for Wolverhampton Safeguarding Children Board which commissioned the report on Ryan’s murder that is near completion, said: “The Coalition Government has informed all local safeguarding children boards that they should publish overview reports of all new serious case reviews initiated on or after June 10, 2010.  There is, however, no change to the guidance in respect of serious case reviews initiated prior to this date.” At Wolverhampton Crown Court yesterday Ryan’s murderers Kayley Boleyn and

Chris Taylor were jailed for life and ordered to serve at least 13 and 15 years respectively.

They murdered the youngster by systematically beating him in their bedsit in Slim Avenue, Bilston.

Meanwhile the parents of  Ryan are locked in a bitter battle over the bill for his funeral.

John Lovell aged 24 and 21-year-old Amy Hancox have barely spoken a word to each other since the service at St Michael’s Church in Tettenhall in April, 16 months after his death.

Jobless Mr Lovell, who split from Ryan’s mother in 2007, said: “We had a short telephone conversation after the funeral and have not spoken since. I do not want to talk to her again because she did not pay a penny towards the bill for Ryan’s funeral which cost almost £1,000.” Miss Hancox declined to comment.