Families seek answers after reports 2021 concerns about Vincent Chan were not referred to police

It's claimed the concerns, said to have first been raised in 2021, were not referred to police and Chan was allowed to return to work with young children.

A Guardian investigation published in October 2026 reported that concerns about Chan's behaviour were raised in 2021 and investigated by Bright Horizons with oversight from Camden Council.

During the investigation, Chan was reportedly suspended from duties involving contact with children. The investigation reported that the concerns were not referred to police and that Chan was subsequently permitted to return to work with young children.

In its response to the Guardian’s investigation, Camden Council said it is now waiting for the findings of the ongoing Local Child Safeguarding Practice Review but that it is determined “to make a real and tangible impact on safeguarding arrangements for the future.”

Bright Horizons said it cannot respond to the reports while the Local Child Safeguarding Practice Review is ongoing.

More than 50 families whose children attended the Bright Horizons nursery where Chan worked are represented by Alison Millar, a partner in the abuse team at law firm Leigh Day.

The families said:

“We are devastated and angry to learn that concerns about Vincent Chan were raised years before he was finally stopped. We feel betrayed by Bright Horizons, Camden Council and all those involved in the decisions that allowed him to continue working with children.

"This was not simply a hidden danger that nobody could have known about. Concerns had already been raised and there was an opportunity to intervene. If they had been properly escalated, independently examined and acted upon, he could have been stopped sooner and many of his crimes prevented.

“These revelations also raise serious questions about the account Bright Horizons has previously given families and the public, and whether it disclosed the full history of concerns about Chan and the 2021 investigation.

“In June 2026, Ofsted also served Bright Horizons with a provider-wide Welfare Requirements Notice after finding significant weaknesses in safeguarding leadership, governance, oversight and practice.

"We need answers. Who knew what, and when? Why were the police not told? What independent scrutiny took place? And how was Vincent Chan deemed safe to return to caring for young children?

"Expressions of regret are meaningless. Families deserve the truth about what happened, accountability for the decisions that were made, and action to make sure this cannot happen again. We cannot wait until 2027 for answers.”

The families are calling for:

• Independent scrutiny of the decisions made in 2021, including why police were not informed and how Chan was allowed to return to work with children.

• A national independent system for reporting concerns in nurseries.

• The introduction of CCTV in nurseries, subject to appropriate privacy safeguards.

• Strong national rules governing phones, cameras and digital devices in nursery settings.

Leigh Day partner Alison Millar said:

"We are taking legal action on behalf of families for their children’s exposure to Chan and we have been concerned from the beginning that his abuse and inappropriate behaviour towards children at the nursery may have been wider than the appalling crimes of which he was convicted.

“The Guardian’s report now confirms that there were significant pre-existing concerns about him and an opportunity to intervene.

“Our clients have to live with the continuing uncertainty as to what their children may have experienced or witnessed. They require, and deserve, urgent answers to their questions as to what was known about Chan in 2021 and how he came to be cleared to return to work with their children.

“The Guardian’s report also strengthens the case for a criminal investigation. The Local Child Safeguarding Practice Review is separate to this and will not hold Bright Horizons, as a corporate, to account in this way. Our clients are calling on Camden Council as the responsible authority to ensure there is an investigation into whether offences were committed under the health and safety legislation.”