Shamed former Rotherham children's services boss Joyce Thacker received a £40,000 payoff after quitting her £130,000-a-year post last month.

The details of the payoff, revealed after a Freedom of Information request, came as Mrs Thacker was singled out for criticism in a report published yesterday into the town's child sex abuse scandal.

The Home Affairs Select Committee report said she ignored 'numerous credible warnings' about the scale of abuse, and called for an independent investigation.

Payout: Rotherham Borough Council paid £40,000 to former strategic director of children's services Joyce Thacker, it has been revealed

The report said that there were still 'questions to be answered' despite the resignations of Mrs Thacker, police commissioner Shaun Wright, and council chief executive Martin Kimber.

It said the new probe should focus on whether there was a 'deliberate cover-up'.

Mrs Thacker faced repeated calls to resign in the wake of an investigation that revealed at least 1,400 children in the town had been sexually exploited between 1997 and 2013.

The payoff left victims furious. One woman, now 29, who was abused between the ages of 14 and 16, said that Mrs Thacker should give the money to charity.

She said: 'It absolutely disgusts me. It is shocking. She should donate the money.'

Keith Vaz, the chairman of an influential Commons committee that has looked into the Rotherham scandal, said he was 'astounded' by the deal and called for the money to be repaid.

Mr Vaz said: 'I am astounded that taxpayers' money has been used in what will be seen as a reward for the failures of Rotherham Council.

'The committee recommended Joyce Thacker, and others, resign for their inaction in light of the huge number of child sexual abuse cases. It was inappropriate of her to accept such a large sum when she left.

'I hope action will be taken to ensure that this money is repaid, and that large payoffs cannot be given under similar circumstances in the future.'

Scandal: A Home Affairs Select Committee report said there were still 'questions to be answered' about the abuse that occurred in Rotherham, above

But Rotherham Borough Council said it had reached a mutual agreement with Mrs Thacker on the termination of her contract and said the sum was 'less than the contractual notice requirement'.

News of the deal with Mrs Thacker came as Mr Vaz's committee called for an urgent investigation into whether public officials sought to cover up the extent of the scandal.

The committee demanded 'a full, transparent and urgent' inquiry and called on the Home Office to do 'everything in its power' to locate any missing files in its possession relating to child sexual exploitation in Rotherham and other places.

Elsewhere, the committee presented proposals for introducing a power of recall for police and crime commissioners (PCCs) after South Yorkshire PCC Shaun Wright initially refused to resign despite his clear links to the failures exposed at Rotherham Borough Council.

Mr Vaz said: 'The proliferation of revelations about files which can no longer be located gives rise to public suspicion of a deliberate cover-up.

'The only way to address these concerns is with a full, transparent and urgent investigation.