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Paedophile nursery worker Vanessa George is released from prison

Vanessa George has been released from prison after ten years - PA
Vanessa George has been released from prison after ten years - PA

Vanessa George, the paedophile nursery worker, has been released from prison after serving ten years for abusing youngsters in her care.

The 49-year-old was jailed indefinitely in 2009 after being convicted of carrying out sex attacks on toddlers at Little Ted's Nursery in Plymouth.

Earlier this month, the Parole Board ruled that she no longer posed a significant risk to the public and was eligible for release.

But she has been freed under strict licencing conditions, which include being banned from the whole of Devon and Cornwall.

She is expected to spend time at a bail hostel before her full release when she will be closely monitored.

George will remain on the sex offenders' register for life and is also banned from ever working with children again.

Last week the chief probation officer, Sonia Crozier wrote an open letter in an attempt to reassure the public about her release.

In the letter she said: : "I share the disgust at the crimes committed by Vanessa George and I understand why the prospect of her release is so worrying to so many people, particularly in  Plymouth where memories of her abuse are still vivid and frightening.

"The fact she so callously exploited a position of trust to commit these crimes makes them all the more horrifying.

"She will also 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" by abusing those in her care.

The "shockwaves" of her maltreatment of babies and toddlers would be felt in every one of the country's nursery schools, he added.

Although the self-styled "paedo whore mum" has named some victims, George was accused of deliberately hiding information that would properly pinpoint those in the pictures she took.

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.

The Parole Board has said that it will consider sympathetically any further requests for exclusion zones, to prevent any victim from coming into contact inadvertently with George.