Key facts
- Vincent Chan was jailed in February for 18 years after pleading guilty to 56 child abuse offenses.
- Camden council oversaw an investigation by Bright Horizons in 2021 into concerns about Chan's conduct.
- Chan was cleared to return to his role caring for children after the 2021 investigation.
- Chan filmed himself abusing children at the nursery in 2022.
- Chan was arrested in June 2024 after videos of abused children were discovered.
- Camden council is conducting a local child safeguarding practice review, expected in early 2027.
Camden council and Bright Horizons nursery were aware of concerns about a nursery worker, Vincent Chan, three years before his arrest and subsequent conviction for child abuse, raising questions about the adequacy of safeguarding measures.
In February, Chan was sentenced to 18 years in prison after pleading guilty to 56 offenses, including sexual assault on three-year-old girls in his care at a Bright Horizons nursery on Finchley Road in north-west London. Prosecutors described him as a "prolific sexual predator."
The Guardian revealed that in 2021, a parent raised "significant concerns" about Chan's conduct and behavior with Bright Horizons. The nursery referred the matter to Camden council, which advised an investigation. During this period, Chan was assigned duties with no child contact. After the Bright Horizons investigation concluded, Chan was cleared to resume his role caring for young children.