Camden Council is facing legal action over safeguarding failures at a nursery where Vincent Chan sexually abused children as young as two years old.
Three families of the affected children have threatened to bring legal action at the High Court, saying the council has a duty to investigate issues at Bright Horizons nursery, such as staff shortages, parents’ complaints, and Chan’s use of digital devices, that may have allowed the paedophile to carry out abuse undetected.
The group claims the council has refused to investigate whether the nursery group breached health and safety rules.
Camden Council said it cannot begin an investigation while it is participating in a safeguarding review, but that it has referred the case to the Health and Safety Executive.
In a joint statement, the families said: “Our children were supposed to be safe at nursery. Instead, a predator was able to operate in plain sight for seven years.
“We feel there were serious safeguarding failures at Bright Horizons, and those failures should be investigated by the enforcing body, Camden Council.”
Chan was jailed for 18 years in February after it emerged that the then 45-year-old had amassed a collection of 26,000 indecent images of children and had carried out abuse over a period of 15 years.
He joined the nursery on Finchley Road, West Hampstead, in 2017 and was reported to the police in May 2024 over concerns that he was filming children.
The families said: “We, as the parents of victims, young children who are some of the most vulnerable people in society, should not have to beg for an investigation like this to be carried out.
“If Camden Council, the Health and Safety Executive and the police will not investigate Bright Horizons, who is responsible for holding nursery operators accountable? Why are parents left to ask that question?”
A spokesperson for Camden Council said: “Parents, carers and children are at the heart of everything we do as this local child safeguarding practice review progresses.
“The fact we are participating in this ongoing statutory review, and the matters under consideration, means that we are currently conflicted and cannot begin any investigation into Bright Horizons nursery concerning possible breaches of health and safety legislation.
“We appreciate that this is frustrating and upsetting for parents and carers but we will revisit the issue of conflict once the review has completed.
“We also consider that this is an exceptional case that meets the criteria for referral to the Health and Safety Executive, as the national regulator. We did this at the earliest opportunity.”
A spokesperson for Bright Horizons said: “First and foremost, our thoughts remain with the children and families affected by Vincent Chan’s horrific crimes. What happened was a profound betrayal of trust by Chan, and we recognise the deep and lasting impact this continues to have.
“We are working with Camden Council and other relevant authorities to support the ongoing child safeguarding practice review. It would not be appropriate for us to comment on any proposed judicial review at this time.”
