The outgoing head of the family court has revealed he was once asked to rule on a child's haircut because his parents couldn't agree.

Sir James Munby, the most senior family court judge in England and Wales, says he has had to make decisions on too many disputes that should be made by parents.

The judge said he was once asked to rule on a disagreement about the length of a six-year-old boy's hair because a father wanted a "crew cut" and a mother "more flowing locks" - saying no judge should have to make that ruling.

He also said the family court is being undermined by "downright untruths" on social media. Sir James, who retired on Friday, said his efforts to increase public trust in the courts by making them more open and transparent had been made more challenging by online commenters.

The judge said in 2014 that family courts should publish judgments online in significant cases and has called for the most secretive court, the Court of Protection, to be made more accessible to journalists.