Council and police appeal against child sex abuse compensation

Leicester City Council said the case could put it at risk of significant further claims

A council and police force are appealing against a decision to award compensation to a sex abuse victim after a convicted paedophile was housed near his children's home.

Martin Todd was housed near the boy in 2009, and then jailed in 2011 for attempting to rape the 15-year-old.

A judge ordered Leicester City Council and Leicestershire Police to pay the claimant £52,000 in August.

The council said the judgment put it at risk of "significant further claims".

Leicestershire Police said it would not comment while the appeal process was ongoing.

At a council meeting Sarah Russell, deputy city mayor for children and young people, said the authority's insurers had taken the decision to launch the appeal, based on "independent expert legal advice", according to the Local Democracy Reporting Service.

Ms Russell said: "It's not about the amount of damages being awarded to the claimant.

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"The case has the potential... to set legal precedent which doesn't only put the city council at risk of significant further claims but also local authorities and police forces around the country."

'Serious failure'

In 2006, Todd was jailed for three-and-a-half years for 10 breaches of a sexual offences prevention order.

He was released in March 2009, and went to live at an approved address in Leicester - near the children's home where the boy was living.

The move followed a meeting between organisations including Leicestershire Police and Leicester City Council's children's services and housing department.

During the following months, the boy was abused by Todd.

At the hearing, Judge Alison Hampton said there was a "serious failure" to share information about Todd with staff at the home.

She also expressed concern that the children's services and housing departments did not question the location of the address, "a stone's throw away" from the council-run children's home.

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