A Bulgarian baby should be placed for adoption in England even though she will probably lose her cultural identity as a result, a family court judge has decided.

Judge Sarah Lynch was asked to make decisions about the girl's future after council social workers said she was not safe in the care of her Bulgarian parents.

The judge said adoption will "most likely" lead to the youngster losing her identity as a Bulgarian child. But she added there is no realistic prospect of the girl being safe in her parents' care and has decided that only adoption will give her the stability she needs.

Judge Lynch said, in a written ruling published online, that the girl could not be identified in media reports, but Bradford Council was the local authority involved.

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Judge Lynch has ruled that the girl, who is approaching her first birthday, should be adopted after analysing evidence at a recent family court hearing in Leeds.

Her parents wanted her to stay with them and disagreed with "any suggestion" of adoption.

But social services staff said she would not be safe at home, no other relative was available and adoption was the only realistic option.

Staff from the Bulgarian embassy in London monitored the proceedings.

The judge was told that the girl had a brother who lived with a grandparent in Bulgaria.

A social worker told the judge that council staff would try to find Bulgarian adopters but there would be difficulties meeting the girl's "cultural needs".