‘Dark day’ sees paedophile back on British streets

Paedophile nursery worker Vanessa George has been released from prison on what has been branded “a dark day for British justice”.

The 49-year-old was jailed indefinitely in 2009 and told to serve a minimum of seven years behind bars for abusing toddlers at Little Ted’s Nursery in Plymouth.

Earlier this month, the Parole Board concluded that she no longer poses a significant risk to the public, although she is under “strict licence conditions” and has been banned from Devon and Cornwall.

Yesterday a source confirmed that George had been released from prison.

MP Luke Pollard, who represents the constituency where she committed the crimes, said: “I am disgusted that serial child abuser Vanessa George is being released early today.

“I firmly believe that Vanessa George should be behind bars, not walking our streets.

“This is a dark day for British justice.”

When news broke of her imminent release, chief probation officer Sonia Crozier wrote an open letter to try to reassure people.

She said: “She will never be allowed to work with children again and will be on the sex offenders register for the rest of her life.

“She is subject to a number of conditions, including not to have unsupervised contact with any children whatsoever.

“If she breaches any of these conditions or if her probation officer thinks there is an increasing chance she might re-offend – she can be immediately recalled to prison.”

During George’s 2009 sentencing, Mr Justice Royce told her she had “plumbed new depths of depravity”.

Child protection officers visited 180 children thought to have had contact with George, who admitted taking up to eight pictures a day while on duty.

Vanessa George.