Six women arrested in York nurseries inquiry

Women aged between 18 and 28 held in investigation of two privately-run nurseries Six women have been arrested as part of an investigation into two privately-run nurseries in York. North Yorkshire police said the arrested women, aged between 18 and 28, have been questioned and released on conditional bail. The police, council and Ofsted began a joint inquiry last month into the nurseries, Little Joes in Fishergate and Heworth House in Melrosegate. At the time they said there was no suggestion of sexual abuse. Both nurseries have remained open as the inquiry continues. A joint statement from the City of York council’s Safeguarding Children Board, North Yorkshire police and Ofsted said: “The arrest of individuals by the police is standard practice where they have reasonable suspicion that someone may have committed an offence and this action should not be taken as an indication that offences of a more serious nature have emerged.” The statement also said parents were being kept fully informed of the progress of the investigation. It continued: “We appreciate that this will continue to raise anxieties for parents of children in the nurseries, but we would like to stress that the welfare and safety of children is the primary concern.” Parents with any concerns can contact an advice line set up by City of York council’s Family Information Service. In August, York council said “the quality of care and welfare” of children at Little Joes in Fishergate and Heworth House in Melrosegate was being investigated. The nurseries’ owner, Lynn Drydal, said she was “completely shocked”. At the time, she said she had not been told what the allegations were and that it had had a “horrendous” effect on her business. She added: “I would like this investigation to be moved on so I can try and build back up the business which I have had ruined.” Little Joes takes children from birth to eight years old and has separate pre-school, toddler and baby units. It was last inspected by Ofsted in September 2008, when it was rated “good” overall. The nursery has a capacity for 51 children and employed nine staff at the time of the last inspection. Heworth House was inspected by Ofsted in May this year, when it was rated “satisfactory”. It is registered to take children from birth to five years and has capacity for 30 children. It employs nine members of staff. Crime Helen Carter guardian.co.uk

Posted by on September 9, 2011. Filed under News, Politics, World News. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. You can skip to the end and leave a response. Pinging is currently not allowed.