Tulip Siddiq MP is urging Prime Minister Andy Burnham to support a campaign for mandatory CCTV in nurseries and to strengthen the safety and regulation of early years settings. The Labour MP for Hampstead and Highgate highlighted the case of Vincent Chan, who was jailed for 18 years earlier this year for abusing children at Bright Horizons nursery in West Hampstead.
Ms Siddiq stated that a lack of evidence about what happened in the nursery meant some parents were left with questions about whether their child was a victim. A group of 200 affected parents are calling for mandatory CCTV in nurseries and for Ofsted to review footage during inspections. They have previously met with the former education secretary and early years minister, and gave evidence to an expert panel.
Ms Siddiq noted that there have been 20,000 reports of serious childcare incidents in English nurseries over the past five years. She believes mandatory CCTV could help catch perpetrators earlier and prevent harm to children, citing cases in Bristol, Manchester, and Twickenham where it could have been beneficial.