No criminal offences linked to nursery, say police

Police have ended their investigation relating to a nursery and have said no criminal offences were identified.

Ofsted previously said Watership Downs in Maldon, Essex, closed on 19 June after inspectors decided there was "reasonable belief that children may be at risk of harm".

Essex Police also said it was investigating but would not provide further information.

But a spokesperson for the force said earlier: "Officers have concluded their investigation and have not identified any criminal offences."

Watership Downs first registered with Ofsted in 2019 and has places for 44 children aged 0-4 years.

It is the current provider of childcare at the site in Poulton Close, but the BBC understands a different community interest company is in the process of setting up a nursery there.

Earlier, a spokesperson for the education watchdog said the registration for Watership Downs remained suspended while "we complete our inquiries".

When contacted over the phone, a spokesperson for Watership Downs said it would remain closed while Ofsted inquiries continued.

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