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WARNING: DISTRESSING CONTENT Amanda Byrne, 57, was a manager at the now-closed Little Stars Nursery, in south east London when she bit a young boy on November 24, 2025

A nursery manager who bit a child has avoided prison after pleading guilty to assault.

Amanda Byrne, 57, was a manager at the now-closed Little Stars Nursery, in Whitehall Lane, Erith, south east London when she bit a young boy on November 24, 2025.

The boy's parents, who can't be identified for legal reasons, said the ordeal 'put them through hell'. When they picked up their son from nursery in November, they were told the bite marks on his arm were as a result of him biting himself in frustration.

But the next day, the parents received a call from the nursery's safeguarding lead, who said another member of staff had reported the manager for causing the bite marks. The boy's dad said: "We were absolutely mortified, just in a state of shock that somebody with that responsibility would do that."

His mum said: "We put our trust in her. She was somebody we had quite a lot of respect for, so when we found out it was Mandy we were just gobsmacked."

The incident was reported to police and regulator Ofsted, which suspended the nursery from operating on November 26, two days after the incident. The nursery never re-opened after the provider resigned its registration.

At Bromley Magistrates' Court on May 21, Byrne, of Barnehurst Avenue, avoided prison after receiving a six-month sentence, suspended for one year. She was ordered to pay £500 compensation, and to complete 20 days of rehabilitation activities.

The boy's dad said: "A defenceless child, and that's all she gets? It's disgusting. We both feel that justice hasn't been served. It's put us through hell. This is one of the most difficult patches we've had in our lives, dealing with this."

Despite it all, they said they're very thankful for the other members of staff who were whistle-blowers. He added: "If it wasn't for them, we would never have known and she would still be looking after kids."

Accoring to Google Little Stars Nursery, in south east London is now permanently closed.

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