A woman working at a private Twickenham nursery has been charged with 25 counts relating to child abuse following an investigation by Met detectives.

Hounslow resident Roksana Lecka, aged 21, was charged with 12 counts of child cruelty, 12 counts of actual bodily harm, and one count of attempting to cause grievous bodily harm on Wednesday 24 July, having been taken into custody earlier in the month.

The arrest follows an investigation launched by the Metropolitan Police's South West area Child Abuse Investigation Team on Tuesday 2 July.

Twickenham Green Montessori nursery itself expressed concerns to the police regarding the welfare of the children under Ms Lecka's care, leading to the staff member's arrest on Friday 5 July: a mere four days into the investigation.

Fees for Twickenham Green Montessori – one of the six schools in the Riverside Nursery Schools group – start at £1,124 per month for three days a week. For five days per week, parents must fork over £1,893 for children under three years old. 

The nursery, part of Riverside Nursery Schools, is situated just off Twickenham Green. (Photo: Google Maps)

Detective Superintendent Ian Cameron, from the Met's South West area Public Protection team, said: "I understand the concern that this has caused in the community, especially for parents with young children in nursery. These are very serious allegations, which is why we swiftly launched a thorough investigation. 

"We are continuing to work very closely with the nursery, Ofsted and the local authority and our enquiries continue. I would encourage anyone who has any concerns or information to contact us, or the independent charity Crimestoppers anonymously."

If any parents have any information or concerns, they can contact the police on 101 quoting CAD 2671/25JUL.

Alternatively, they can contact Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111, or online here.