Paedophile cleared to work with children

A PAEDOPHILE who escaped to England after being sentenced to 77 years in prison in Spain was allowed to work with children after passing criminal record checks.

Jose Luis Magana Chueca was jailed in 1991 by a Spanish court for 15 indecent assaults on boys and girls to whom he gave football and music lessons.

The judge said he should never be freed after hearing how he abused the children as they showered and offered them money to keep quiet.

But the 55-year-old was granted bail to launch an appeal and fled, first to Kenya, then to Germany and finally to Britain.

He was arrested by British police in 2003 but could not be extradited because of a 10-year limit under Spanish law.

Chueca started a new life in Peckham, running a youth football team in Gunnersbury Park, after passing FA background checks.

In 2006 he was given a job with a cab firm that held a council contract to take vulnerable children to and from school.

For the position he had to apply to the Metropolitan Police to have an enhanced criminal records certificate. Within days police approved his application, despite having paperwork on file detailing his history. A spokesman for the Met insisted it had followed guidelines but said there was not enough evidence to prevent him taking the job.

"Only a certain amount of information was available at the time," he said.

"Without additional supporting evidence, a decision was made in this case not to disclose this information as it could not be corroborated."

Police are now investigating an allegation that Cheuca assaulted a 10-year-old boy during a cab trip.

He is on bail until next month and is suspended from coaching.