Vincent Chan will be sentenced next month

THE government has been asked to rule that CCTV must be operational in all nurseries in the wake of the shocking Finchley Road abuse case.

Vincent Chan, 45, abused children from as young as two at a Bright Horizons nursery in West Hampstead while he was employed there by the company. He is due to be given a lengthy jail sentence this week after being convicted of nine counts of sexual assault, and further charges of taking indecent photographs of children.

The nursery has now closed down, but Hampstead and Highgate MP Tulip Siddiq said measures must be taken so that the horror is never repeated.

She told he House of Commons on Monday: “Like many of my constituents, I was horrified by the sexual abuse perpetrated by Vincent Chan at Bright Horizons nursery. I am working with a group of 200 affected parents, who are truly inspirational given everything they’ve been through. The parents are calling on the government to require nurseries to operate CCTV in all rooms in nurseries, with secure local monitoring and restricted remote access for parents.”

She added: “The removal of this system at the nursery in question, removed an important safeguarding tool and deterrent. In a similar case in Twickenham, CCTV had been vital in securing a conviction. In Parliament, I am engaging with MPs of all parties and the Government to push for this vital safeguarding tool.”

Education minister Olivia Bailey said in response: “My thoughts remain with all of the children and families who have been affected. The safety of our children comes first, so we are considering the mandatory use of CCTV in early years settings through our review, which we are getting underway rapidly.”

Her boss, education secretary Bridget Phillipson, had said in December that guidance needed to be developed so that the presence of CCTV cameras did not lead to new forms of child abuse. Bright Horizons said last month it had started its own investigation into the case by hiring an “independent expert”.

It has more than 300 nurseries across London and the rest of the country, although the Finchley Road one is now closed. Parents of affected children have consulted lawyers about possible legal action.

Alison Millar, from the Leigh Day law firm, said: “This is an absolutely shocking case. Even as an experienced abuse claims lawyer, it is difficult to hear the descriptions of Chan’s sexual offences against such very young, defenceless children, as well as wider concerns about maltreatment of the children in his care. In addition to the abhorrent sexual offending, there is also a wider group of families affected by Chan’s behaviour.”

Meanwhile, police said this week that Chan is facing a new set of charges, although these are not related to crimes committed at his former place of work and relate to an ongoing police inquiry into his past and studies of numerous laptops and devices found at his home in East Finchley. They relate to offences against nine children and include nine counts of taking an indecent photograph, and five counts of acts of outraging public decency.

An NSPCC helpline with dedicated child protection specialists has been set up. The helpline number is 0800 028 0828.