Nursery World - Council accepts malice ruling

* Newcastle City Council has decided not to appeal against the finding of malice against its review team, who alleged in 1998 that two former nursery nurses had abused children in their care, even though they had been cleared in a trial four years earlier (News, 8 August). Christopher Lillie and Dawn Reed were each awarded 200,000 in damages by the libel case judge, Mr Justice Eady, who said the review team 'acted with malice' by repeating the allegations in their report. Ian Stratford, chief executive of the city council, said, 'The City Council fully accepts Justice Eady's judgement that Dawn Reed and Christopher Lillie are innocent of all the allegations against them.

Christopher Lillie and Dawn Reed were each awarded 200,000 in damages by the libel case judge, Mr Justice Eady, who said the review team 'acted with malice' by repeating the allegations in their report. Ian Stratford, chief executive of the city council, said, 'The City Council fully accepts Justice Eady's judgement that Dawn Reed and Christopher Lillie are innocent of all the allegations against them.

'The council regrets the suffering these events have caused them. Our sympathies remain with all the people affected by this case.'

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