A REVIEW has found no-one could have anticipated or prevented a depraved sex attack partly carried out by Swindon teenager Anthony Ford in a Gloucester cellar in November 2012.

Ford and Kane Lammin, both 16 at the time, forced a 17-year-old into the basement of a property Ford was living in through a Swindon Council care placement.

Once there, the pair rubbed cement dust in the victim’s face, pulled knives on him, made him strip, beat him with wood, stubbed a cigarette out on him and seriously sexually assaulted and raped him.

Following the sentencing in October last year, which put the pair behind bars for 10 years each, the Gloucestershire Safeguarding Children Board (GSCB) carried out a critical learning review into the case.

It followed revelations claiming authorities in the county did not know Lammin and Ford were living in the city.

Swindon Council, which was responsible for placing Ford in care in Gloucester, was included in the review, but has yet to receive any feedback from GSCB.

A Swindon Council spokesman said: “We provided all the information to the Gloucestershire LSCB requested of us, which was the case notes and documents relating to Anthony Ford’s care.

“We have not yet seen the review report, but note that it appears to have concluded that the assault could not have been prevented.”

David McCallum, chairman of GSCB, said: “The Critical Learning Review (CLR) following the case of Lammin and Ford looked at the involvement of all organisations involved reflecting on what might have been done differently to help prevent this crime.

“The review found that no one could have anticipated, had information or had knowledge that could have prevented the incident from taking place.”

Lammin’s placement in Gloucester had been funded by Oxfordshire County Council, which had told Gloucestershire’s Youth Offending Service, which is part of the county council, he was living in the city but had not followed the formal process of notifying the authority.

A review was launched in the county to see how communication could be improved between authorities and how other services, such as education and health, could work together in the best interests of children.

During the court case, Judge William Hart said the attack was so serious, he agreed with a request from the Gloucester Citizen to lift Lammin and Ford’s anonymity as juveniles.

He said at the sentencing at Gloucester Crown Court: “This case represents one of the most brutal, depraved and disgusting pieces of behaviour considered by this court in recent times.”

Ford admitted rape and sexual assault by penetration, and using threatening words or behaviour towards a witness.

Lammin, originally from Oxford, admitted assault by penetration and actual bodily harm and unrelated offences of robbery and assault with intent to rob.