A SOCIAL worker described by a High Court judge as being involved in an 'evil' baby-selling trade has spoken out.

Jay Carter, a 51-year-old mother, said she had been made into a scapegoat and that she had a clear conscience.

Mrs Carter, from Skelton, east Cleveland, also said she had worked within the law and that she continues to work in the adoption field.

She explained that she worked for Cots (Childlessness Overcome Through Surrogacy) for whom she provides advice and support to surrogate mothers and couples who want a surrogate baby.

Mrs Carter, who admits she has no professional qualifications, was involved in a case where a black American woman was paid just 1,000 US dollars (£624) to hand over her newborn daughter to an adoption agency.

A white British couple had remortgaged their home to raise £18,500 to pay for the baby, which a US judge allowed to be brought to the UK.

The High Court heard glowing reports about the couple from Mrs Carter, who said she had no hesitation in recommending an adoption order should be granted.

But two of her own six children had caused concern to the local social services. Far from being fit and healthy, the woman was suffering from cancer, had been married four times before, and suffered from depression.

She has since committed suicide and her fifth husband has abandoned all responsibility for the young girl, born in January 2000.

At the High Court hearing earlier this month, Mr Justice Munby took the unusual step of partially lifting an order banning identification of any of the people in the case so that the social worker, Jay Carter, could be named 'in the public interest'.

He also ordered copies of his judgement to be sent to the Director of Public Prosecutions. That judgement is currently with the CPS but has not been handed over to police.

But Mrs Carter told a national newspaper: "He has taken things out of context and he has exaggerated things and been very selective. I have been scapegoated. I know this is a tragic case and this child has been left without parents."

Commenting on her new role, she told the newspaper she was paid less than £100 a week from surrogacy work and was paid about £5 an hour for keeping in monthly telephone contact with her clients.

She said she had helped 170 couples and 110 surrogate mothers.