One of the country’s biggest nursery chains may have broken the law after failing to notify Ofsted of suspicions about a paedophile staff member.

The Mail has learned Bright Horizons did not pass on to the education regulator ‘significant concerns’ from at least one parent about Vincent Chan at the nursery in Finchley, north London, in 2021.

Instead Chan was investigated in-house and was later cleared to return to work. He was handed an 18-year jail term in February after admitting sexually assaulting and filming young girls in his care from at least 2022.

But Department for Education rules state registered providers must inform Ofsted ‘of any allegations of serious harm or abuse’ by any worker, within 14 days.

Failure to comply with this requirement is considered an offence, although the Department for Education refused to confirm what law may have been broken in such circumstances, and whether it would apply to the company or individuals.

Parents said they were ‘furious’ with Bright Horizons for failing to flag the concerns to Ofsted.

One mother, whose daughter had more than 2,000 hours with Chan as her direct carer after the 2021 allegation, told the Mail: ‘Parents trusted Bright Horizons with their pre-verbal toddlers. 

‘That trust was utterly misplaced.

Paedophile Vincent Chan abused children in his care at Bright Horizons nursery in Finchley, north London

‘Bright Horizons investigated its own employee behind closed doors, failed to alert the independent regulator and then allowed him back to work with vulnerable children.

‘Ofsted could have investigated and uncovered wider safeguarding failures. Children could have been protected. But Bright Horizons denied the regulator that opportunity.

‘What makes this even more devastating is that shortly afterwards, my little girl was placed directly into this man’s care for over a year.

‘To know there was a chance to stop him before he was entrusted with my daughter is almost unbearable.’

Parents say their trauma is compounded by the belief they will never know whether an Ofsted investigation in 2021 could have prevented the horrific abuse of children that followed.

The nursery initially escalated the concerns to Camden Council but saw them sent back by the local authority for the business to deal with.

Bright Horizons, which runs more than 300 nurseries across the UK, refused to comment on claims it failed to alert Ofsted, but said it took its requirements seriously.

A spokesman for Bright Horizons said: ‘We are fully committed to participating in the ongoing Children’s Safeguarding Practice Review which we hope will robustly consider all the relevant issues.

‘We do not wish to prejudice that Review and its important role in obtaining information for victims and their families.

‘As a result, we are not able to comment further at this time.’

The branch of the nursery where Chan worked has since closed.