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Two people have denied charges in connection with a police investigation into historic child abuse at a former children’s home in Abergavenny.

Lisa Gething, 59, of Park Crescent, Abergavenny, and Simon Bevan, 55, of Montclaire Avenue, Blackwood, appeared before Newport Magistrates’ Court on Thursday February 12.

Gething, understood to be a social worker with Caerphilly County Borough Council, is charged with four counts of causing unnecessary suffering, neglect or assault of a child, involving three people under the age of 16 at the time, during the 1980s and 1990s.

Bevan is charged with two counts of causing a child to be assaulted or ill-treated, and causing unnecessary suffering. These were related to alleged incidents in the 1990s involving two people under the age of 16 at the time.

Both denied the charges and were released on conditional bail and told not to contact co-defendants or witnesses.

Operation Spinney has been investigating reports made by a number of men and women of sexual and physical abuse committed against them as children, predominantly at the former Coed Glas Assessment Centre, Abergavenny, between the 1970s and 1990s.

The centre at the time was the responsibility of the former Gwent Local Authority and has been closed since 1995.

A Caerphilly County Borough Council spokesman said: “We can confirm that a casual social worker employed within the Emergency Duty Team is currently suspended pending ongoing investigations.

“The council has robust policies and safeguarding procedures in place when allegations against a member of staff are made and we are supporting Gwent Police with their enquiries.”