Nursery nurses win libel case

The judge said Mr Lillie and Ms Reed were 'innocent citizens'

Two former nursery nurses have spoken of their "relief" after a nine-year battle to clear their names over allegations they sexually abused children in their care.

Dawn Reed, 31, and Christopher Lillie, 37, were awarded £200,000 each at the High Court on Tuesday after "ruinous" allegations were made against them in a report commissioned by Newcastle City Council.

Ms Reed and Mr Lillie, were in court to hear the announcement by Mr Justice Eady in London that he had found the allegations against them "untrue".

The judge rejected their claim for libel against Newcastle City Council but upheld it against the four authors of the independent report called Abuse in Early Years.

If you know you are innocent you just keep battling on until someone listens. There is nothing else you can do

Christopher Lillie

All defendants had contested the action

Speaking after the judgement, Ms Reed said she was "dazed, relieved" and "lost for words."

Mr Lillie told BBC News he was always confident he would have his day in court.

He said: "I'm glad it's all over. I'm sorry it's taken nine years.

"If you know you are innocent you just keep battling on until someone listens. There is nothing else you can do."

Ms Reed and Mr Lillie sued the authors of a report which they say had a "nightmare impact" on their lives.

It was published four years after the pair were originally acquitted of sexual offences against children in their care in 1994.

Ms Reed and Mr Lillie found themselves unemployable as nursery nurses after their acquittal and had moved away from the area to rebuild their lives when the independent report came out.

'Complete vindication'

Mr Justice Eady said: "What matters primarily is that they are entitled to be vindicated and recognised as innocent citizens who should, in my judgment, be free to exist for what remains of their lives untouched by the stigma of child abuse."

Speaking outside the court, solicitor Richard Osborne said that Mr Lillie and Ms Reed had shown the authors of the report calling them "child abusers" were dishonest and motivated by malice.

He said: "Complete vindication is what Chris and Dawn sought from this court and what they now have by this judgement."

In a statement Newcastle City Council said it was pleased Mr Justice Eady upheld its defence.

The four members of the review team were malicious in the promulgation of their report

Mr Justice Eady

The four members of the review teams said they were "shocked" by the ruling and were considering an appeal.

The review team was led by Dr Richard Barker, a social worker in an academic post at the University of Northumbria; Roy Wardell, a former director of social services for Barnsley Metropolitan Borough Council; Jacqui Saradjian, a clinical psychologist and Judith Jones, a senior social worker.

The judge said: "The four members of the review team were malicious in the promulgation of their report."

In a statement to BBC News Online the review team said: "We are shocked and upset by the judge's findings on malice.

"It is... surprising that he has made a finding of malice against us on the basis that we sought to mislead the public about aspects of our inquiry.

"We have been advised that we have good grounds to appeal this judgement and are considering appealing."