A former Tory councillor has spoken out in defence of a cabinet minister criticised for sending her child to a private school.

Former education secretary Ruth Kelly has come under fire for sending one of her children - who is believed to have learning difficulties - to a £15,000-a-year boarding school instead of a state school, as Labour has been keen to promote.

The story was only too familiar to former Southend councillor Verina Weaver, who was once faced with the same decision.

She sent her youngest son to a private school because she thought it would be better equipped to deal with his dyslexia.

She said: "At the time there wasn't the support within the system that I was looking for. I'm not saying a state school would not have been able to do a reasonable job with him, but he wouldn't have got the extra support he needed, emotionally as well as academically."

Mrs Weaver said people should not be too quick to judge Mrs Kelly.

She said: "This is one of these things where everyone has to make an individual decision.

"It's a difficult decision and you shouldn't make judgments about other people's situations.

"I would never judge a mother for making a decision solely on her children's needs, whether they're a cabinet minister or the Queen."

Mrs Weaver, who at one point served as executive councillor for social services, said politicians felt more pressure to justify actions, knowing they would be scrutinised.

She said: "Everybody in public life has got to be very careful about statements they make, because they can come back and bite them."