A Norfolk mother was wrongly labelled a potential child abuser and had her unborn son placed on the at-risk register by overzealous social workers.

The mother said that the error had “torn her family apart”, and her parents accused the local authority of running its child protection system like “Communist Russia”.

The mother, who does not wish to be named, had suffered from dissociative identity disorder, which results in memory disturbance. Although completely recovered at the time of her pregnancy, she was told by social workers that unless she did as she was told, her baby would be taken away when it was born.

“After he was born, I spent the first three days in hospital knowing they were watching my every move and waiting for me to do something wrong.”

Caroline Ball, chairman of Norfolk’s safeguarding children board, led an independent inquiry into the case and found a “catalogue of errors” at the children’s services department.

Crucial evidence had been destroyed, rumours were treated as fact and reports by one social worker were inaccurate.

The inquiry concluded that Norfolk County Council had discriminated against the woman on the ground of her mental health condition.

The woman’s mother said: “My daughter was terrified she would lose her child . . . We felt as though the family was being destroyed. We’ve been under a cloud for two years.”

Lisa Christensen, children’s service director for the council, said: “We are extremely sorry and we have apologised to the family concerned.”