Operation Lanark
Operation Lanark was a Metropolitan Police Service (the Met) investigation into serious offences, including child sexual abuse. These offences were committed by a man who worked at a school in Barnet and then as a nursery worker at a now-closed Bright Horizons nursery in Camden.
As the local authority with statutory safeguarding responsibilities, Camden Council is continuing to work with partners in the NHS, the Met, central, regional and local government and the voluntary and community sector to ensure that directly affected families have access to the support they need at this incredibly difficult time.
If you’re directly affected by Operation Lanark, a range of confidential support is available:
You can call the dedicated NSPCC helpline number on 0800 028 0828 who may refer you to other services as needed. It’s open 8am to 8pm Monday to Friday and 9am to 6pm on Saturdays and Sundays. You can also email NSPCC on help@nspcc.org.uk You can contact them anonymously if you want to and your call or email will be dealt with confidentially.
- Our Children’s Social Care team can provide emotional and practical support. If you want to speak to a social worker, call our Children and Families Service on 020 7974 3317 or email them at LBCMASHadmin@camden.gov.uk The call or email will be handled by trained staff who are ready to help and will make sure that you get the most appropriate support.
- You can speak to your GP who can also help you access the support you need.
Local Child Safeguarding Practice Review (LCSPR)
The purpose of a LCSPR is to identify if improvements are needed to how agencies like local councils, the police, the NHS, schools and community settings work together to safeguard children and prevent similar incidents happening in the future. It is required to:
- examine the circumstances surrounding serious child safeguarding incidents.
- identify lessons to be learned by partners and practitioners.
- make clear recommendations to improve local safeguarding arrangements across agencies.
We want to ensure that the voice and experience of directly affected families is central to the review. If you’re a directly affected family member and you want to participate in the review, please consider signing up to the mailing list. We will be using this mailing list to keep you updated on the review and to invite you to participate. We will also keep this web page updated with engagement opportunities, and we are developing trauma-informed approaches to engagement. Families and victims can remain anonymous — and support will be provided.
This Independent Review will look at safeguarding practice at the now closed Bright Horizons nursery setting and it will explore organisational structures at the business. The Review will also consider the roles and responsibilities of agencies associated with the nursery’s operation. All agencies involved will be asked to review their interactions with the nursery over the specified time period. The review has also been expanded to cover the perpetrator’s offences in Barnet — so the period under review will be from 1 November 2006. The review is being run in close collaboration with Barnet Council and Barnet Safeguarding Children Partnership.
The LCSPR is being led by Sarah Lawrence, the Independent Reviewer, who has been appointed by the Camden Safeguarding Children Partnership (CSCP) — which includes Camden Council, the Metropolitan Police and the local NHS. Relevant agencies will be invited to share their learning with the Independent Reviewer, including the participation of the practitioners that were involved at the time.
Independent Reviewer Sarah Lawrence is expected to submit her final report in Autumn 2026. The LCSPR will be overseen by the Camden Safeguarding Children Partnership (CSCP) in collaboration with Barnet Safeguarding Children Partnership who will apply the findings to their work and policies. Learning and recommendations, which may apply both locally and nationally will be shared through ongoing dialogue with the Child Safeguarding Practice Review Panel and the Department for Education.
Safeguarding
If you are worried about a child or a young person in Camden, contact our Children and Families Contact service on 020 7974 3317 or email LBCMASHadmin@camden.gov.uk Find out more about how to report concerns about a vulnerable child or child abuse.
Criminal Proceedings
You can read the further details of the case in this statement issued following the sentencing by the Metropolitan Police. Click here to read.
