Camden council oversaw 2021 inquiry that cleared nursery worker Vincent Chan to return to work

Left · 1The Guardian reported on 10 October 2026 that nursery worker Vincent Chan was cleared to return to work by a 2021 safeguarding investigation carried out by his employer, Bright Horizons, with the oversight of Camden council, about three years before Chan's arrest. 1 Mixed · 2Chan was jailed for 18 years in February 2026 after pleading guilty to 56 offences, including assault by penetration on three-year-old girls in his care at the Bright Horizons nursery on Finchley Road, north-west London; prosecutors called Chan a "prolific sexual predator". 1 2 Left · 1According to the Guardian, a parent raised "significant concerns" in 2021 about Chan's conduct and behaviour, including what the parent's daughter was saying about Chan. Bright Horizons referred the matter to Camden council, which advised the nursery to investigate; Chan was kept off contact with children during the inquiry and was then cleared to resume caring for young children. 1

Left · 1The Guardian says that a year later, in 2022, Chan filmed himself sexually abusing three-year-old girls at the nursery. Chan was first arrested in June 2024, initially on suspicion of child cruelty, after nursery staff found videos of distressed children; police then found tens of thousands of child abuse images on Chan's devices, and offences at Chan's previous job as a teaching assistant at a primary school in north London. 1 Mixed · 2The Guardian understands the Metropolitan Police received no referral in 2021 and were notified of the concerns only later. The Evening Standard, citing reports, likewise says the matter was not referred to police. The Guardian adds that, in early 2024, other parents say they raised concerns with Bright Horizons that were dismissed; the nursery closed in June 2025. 1 2 Left · 1Camden council carried out a rapid review of the decision to clear Chan, concluding in November 2025, and then commissioned an independent local child safeguarding practice review. That review, pushed back from summer 2026, is expected to be published in early 2027. The Guardian reports the council has said it cannot investigate Bright Horizons under health and safety law because its participation in the review creates a conflict, and that it rejected a Guardian freedom of information request. 1

Mixed · 2After the revelations, more than 50 affected families, represented by the law firm Leigh Day, called for a "full and independent account of what happened, who knew what, when they knew it and why these decisions were made". The Guardian reports they said they could not wait until 2027 and restated calls for Camden council to consider prosecuting Bright Horizons under health and safety legislation. 3 2 Mixed · 2One mother said that in 2021, around the time serious concerns were raised, Chan was made her daughter's key worker; a father told the Evening Standard the concerns were "an opportunity to stop this man and his vile behaviour years before this happened to our children". The Standard adds that many families are taking legal action against the nursery provider and want reforms such as CCTV in nursery rooms, tighter rules on digital devices and stronger whistleblowing protections. 3 2 Left · 1Politically, the Guardian reports that Tulip Siddiq, Labour MP for Hampstead and Kilburn, wrote to Camden council asking it to commit to publishing the documentation on the 2021 investigation, and that the row overshadowed the first week as an MP of Sagal Abdi-Wali, who as Camden council leader had presided over the delayed review. 3

Left · 1Camden council said its local authority designated officer (LADO) provided advice to Bright Horizons in 2021 after being informed of a complaint, that it has shared all relevant documents with the independent review team, and that it wants families to get answers through the review. Bright Horizons said it is "appalled" by Chan's crimes, urged parents to share concerns with the review, and said it cannot comment further without the review committee's written authorisation. 3