{mosimage}Prosecutors yesterday shelved action against 10 workers accused of abusing children at Kerelaw residential school. Crown officials said they did not have enough evidence to proceed in the cases and that they were prepared to meet with complainers personally to explain why.

A total of 20 members of staff from Kerelaw, an Ayrshire unit for troubled youngsters, have been reported to the procurator-fiscal.

Yesterday’s decision means that 13 of them will not, at least for the time being, face prosecution as Crown counsel had earlier decided to take no action on three cases.

Two men have been convicted of sexually and physically abusing children, a woman is awaiting trial in August and four other individuals are still under investigation.

A Crown Office spokeswoman said yesterday: “Crown counsel have instructed that, on the basis of the evidence currently available, there will be no criminal proceedings at this time in relation to 10 separate cases reported to the procurator-fiscal at Kilmarnock follow- ing allegations of abuse at Kerelaw.

“The procurator-fiscal at Kilmarnock has informed complainers of the decision reached in these cases and has offered individual meetings to explain the reasons for the decision in their case.”

The Crown Office announcement comes just a week after Glasgow City Council, which owned and managed the Stevenston facility, said it believed as many as 40 members of staff were directly involved in either the physical or sexual abuse of children. The council said “a far larger number” of staff knew or suspected abuse but did nothing about it.

Highland Council’s administration has said it will commit to building new care homes and oppose the construction of new nuclear plants in the region.