A NORTH-EAST woman was last night facing possible criminal charges over her role in the "evil trade" of buying and selling babies for adoption.

Jay Carter, from Skelton, east Cleveland, was named by a High Court judge, who lifted a ban on her identification saying it was in the public interest.

Mr Justice Munby was giving his ruling in a case where a black American woman was paid only 1,000 US dollars (£624) to hand over her newborn daughter to an adoption agency.

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

It was alleged that a Texan judge had heard glowing reports about the couple from Mrs Carter, who was acting as an "independent social worker, and said she had no hesitation recommending an adoption order should be granted.

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

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

Mr Justice Munby ordered a copy of his judgement to be sent the Director of Public Prosecutions, with a view to taking criminal action against Mrs Carter.

He said: "There is a plain public interest in someone who has consistently conducted herself in the way in which Jay Carter has behaved being publicly identified so that anyone who may come across her in some professional capacity should have available to them the facts as set out in this judgement."

Mrs Carter has been attacked by a succession of High Court judges for her inadequate home study reports used to win adoption orders for potential adoptive parents - a practice which has since been banned.

These included Judith Kilshaw, who with husband Alan adopted twin girls from America, and was helped by Jay Carter.

Mr Justice Munby condemned people "who run businesses to make money out of trading in human beings and human misery".

In making an order that the girl, who is now with foster parents, should again be freed to be adopted, he referred to a report which said she would be at risk of significant emotional possible physical harm if she returned to her birth parents in the US.

Mother-of-five Mrs Carter, who lives in a grade II listed mansion set in its own grounds with husband Robin, declined to comment last night.

But she was defended by Judith Kilshaw who said she was "totally professional" and provided a service to people who needed it.

As a Red Cross volunteer, Mrs Carter founded the Home from Hospital scheme on Teesside to provide care for people in their own homes after surgery, but left in January 1997.

She now helps run Cots, a UK group which helps infertile mothers find suitable surrogates