A former Tory councillor is suing the council after it launched a child protection investigation into her fitness to parent.

Lucy Allan, 48, who stood down from Wandsworth Council in February 2012, filed a claim against the council in the Central London County Court on Monday, stating her civil liberties have been breached.

In 2010 the former Southfields resident developed depression following a family bereavement and was referred by a doctor to social services after expressing concern how her illness would affect her 10-year-old son.

In response the council began an investigation into her fitness to parent, a process she knew all too well after sitting on the council's own fostering panel.

The investigation found she posed no risk to her son, but she claims a series of blunders meant sensitive information about the family was mishandled.

Her son was forced to change schools, while she had to quit her roles on the fostering panel, primary care trust and her parent governor duties.

After the experience Miss Allan, a former city banker, made 12 complaints to the council.

Five were upheld and five were partially upheld, but the council failed to take any action.

A report found the family should have been asked for consent before personal information was sent to third parties, while no action was taken to inform them of the investigation outcome.

Miss Allan said: "Unjustified interference by the state into family life is an important civil liberties issue.

"Increasingly the state sees itself as unaccountable in matters relating to the family with disastrous consequences for children."

The claims include breach of  duty of care in respect of the conduct of child protection procedures and unjustified interference in the right to private and family life.

She is also suing for unjustified interference in the right to reputation, misuse of private information and breach of confidence.

Hugh Tomlinson QC will be acting on behalf of Miss Allan, who is now the Conservative parliamentary candidate for Telford, West Midlands.

Her experiences have led her to spearhead campaign Family First, which aims to reduce the number of children in care.

She has also starred in two TV documentaries on the topic for a French TV company and Channel Four, as well as appeared in national newspapers on the issue.

Wandsworth Council declined to comment.