HEALTHCARE staff who come into contact with children in Bolton could be vetted for any criminal allegations, as a response to the Soham murders.

Bolton Primary Care Trust Board has agreed that moves should be made to ensure all presently employed staff, from cleaners to community nurses, should be vetted to protect children in the town.

New staff employed by the trust are already checked by the Criminal Records Bureau, but existing staff are not.

If the trust decides to go ahead with the checks, it is likely to involve hundreds of staff and would take months. But the trust board agreed the move might be necessary after the murders of Jessica Chapman and Holly Wells.

Murderer Ian Huntley got a job as a school caretaker despite having faced a rape charge, allegations of indecently assaulting an 11-year-old girl and having sex with a string of underage schoolgirls.

Chairman of the trust board, Pam Senior, said: "Current members of staff are not referred to the bureau. This is not unique to us but we need to be considering this after Soham."

Bolton's Area Child Protection Committees, where social services join with health professionals, police and other interested parties to discuss the welfare of children, is already one of the best around.

It was agreed that police in the town were likely to share information with social services and Bolton Council, but this needed to be made official.

Jean Rollinson, designated nurse for child protection in Bolton, said: "Our child protection in Bolton is excellent. We are working jointly with social services and the trust to ensure a child's safety is of the utmost importance. There is a police presence at all our meetings."

Jan Hutchinson, director of public health for Bolton Primary Care Trust, said: "We may not see much of a difference here in Bolton because our executive committee and child protection committees works very well. Some others around the country do not."

All existing social services staff are currently being checked through the bureau.

Checks must be complete by the end of June.

An inquiry into how Ian Huntley got a job as a school caretaker began on Monday.