By SCM Staff Writer I Tuesday, October 07, 2025
LONDON, UK – Parents across Greater London can breathe a small sigh of relief tonight after Scotland Yard swooped to arrest two men suspected of holding a chain of beloved nurseries to digital ransom.
Specialist officers from the Metropolitan Police’s Cybercrime Unit conducted a dramatic, proactive operation in Bishop’s Stortford, Hertfordshire, yesterday, leading to the arrest of a 17-year-old and a 22-year-old on suspicion of computer misuse and blackmail.
The pair were taken into custody and remain there for questioning over the attack that has caused “considerable concern” among worried mums and dads since it was first reported late last month.
Toddlers and Trauma
The nightmare began on Thursday, September 25, when the ransomware attack was reported to the police’s Action Fraud team.
Hackers had crippled the computer systems of a set of pre-schools, potentially putting sensitive information about children and their families at risk.
For parents, the attack was a cruel new low in cybercrime. One concerned father, who asked not to be named, told The Sun: “It’s sickening. We entrust our kids to these nurseries, and you never think a gang of hackers would target a place full of toddlers and toys.”
”We just want to know our little ones are safe and their information hasn’t fallen into the wrong hands. It’s not just a company they attacked, it’s our families.”
’Significant Step Forward’
The Met has been working at “pace” since the crime was reported, battling to identify the criminals who dared to target the most vulnerable.
Will Lyne, Met’s Head of Economic and Cybercrime, reassured the community that the matter is being taken “extremely seriously”.
He said: “These arrests are a significant step forward in our investigation, but our work continues, alongside our partners, to ensure those responsible are brought to justice.”
While the investigation continues, the arrests offer a beacon of hope that those who profit from the digital tears of parents will face the full force of the law.
