Nursery sued as 46 families join legal action over paedophile

Forty-six families have launched a landmark legal claim against a major childcare provider following a systematic campaign of abuse by a paedophile worker at a north London nursery.

The civil action against Bright Horizons alleges a "consistent culture of brushing concerns aside" which permitted 45-year-old Vincent Chan to molest children aged between two and four.

Chan, who worked at the now-closed Finchley Road nursery in West Hampstead between 2017 and 2024, is currently awaiting sentencing for 56 offences, including sexual and image-based abuse.

Legal firm Leigh Day confirmed that the number of families seeking damages has surged from an initial 12 to 46, including relatives of children subjected to humiliation and recorded distress.

The claim seeks full accountability through the civil courts for alleged breach of contract, safeguarding failures, neglect, and cruelty on the part of the corporate entity.

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Families are further urging Camden Council to investigate the potential for a corporate prosecution against Bright Horizons for failing to supervise and recruit safely.

The court was previously informed that Chan used nursery-issued electronic devices to facilitate his offending, raising significant questions regarding the oversight of staff members.

In addition to his crimes at the nursery, Chan recently admitted 30 further offences at Highbury Corner Magistrates’ Court involving ten girls and six women unrelated to the facility.

The families’ statement accused the nursery provider of repeatedly dismissing parental warnings, an environment they claim was "key to enabling this catastrophe to happen."

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A local child safeguarding practice review is currently being conducted by the Camden Safeguarding Partnership to determine how the warning signs were overlooked for seven years.

Bright Horizons stated that the safety of children remains their highest priority and described the situation as an "appalling breach of trust" by a single individual.

The provider, which has contacted the families of 700 children who attended the nursery during Chan’s tenure, noted it would be "premature" to comment further while reviews are ongoing.

Legal experts suggest the case could set a significant precedent for the early years industry regarding the standard of care and corporate liability for staff-led abuse.

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Chan remains in custody and is scheduled to be sentenced for the full extent of his offending on February 12.

The civil litigation will run parallel to the criminal proceedings as families seek a comprehensive investigation into the "safeguarding failures" of the nursery's management.