Hundreds report football child abuse to police

About 350 victims have reported child sexual abuse within UK football clubs, police chiefs have said.

The National Police Chiefs’ Council said a “significant number of calls” were made to forces after several former players made allegations of abuse against coaches.

Its figures are also based on details from existing investigations as well as referrals from a new NSPCC helpline.

Warwickshire Police announced it is the 16th force to be investigating claims.

The Metropolitan, Greater Manchester, North Yorkshire, Scotland and Cheshire forces are among the others to confirm they are looking into allegations of historical child sex abuse in football.

Meanwhile, the NSPCC says more than 860 people have called its hotline, set up by the NSPCC charity, a week ago, after allegations first emerged. set up a week ago.

Within the first three days of it launching, the charity made more than 60 referrals to a range of agencies across the UK.

That was more than three times as many referrals as in the first three days of the Jimmy Savile scandal, the charity added.

The phone line is available 24 hours a day on 0800 023 2642.

The Football Association has announced an internal review and a number of football clubs are conducting their own inquiries.

‘Significant’ police response

Outlining the police action to date, NPCC lead for Child Protection, Chief Constable Simon Bailey said the number of victims was “an indicative figure only”, and with information still being collated numbers could change.

He said some of the cases being investigated had come from information supplied by forces across the UK to Operation Hydrant, set up in 2014 to oversee investigations into historical child sex abuse concerning prominent people.

“We are working closely with the Football Association to ensure the response to this significant and growing number of victims, at all levels of football, is co-ordinated effectively,” he added.

“We continue to encourage those who have been the victim of child sexual abuse to report it, regardless of how long ago the abuse may have taken place.”

He said all reports would be treated “sensitively and seriously”.

The former Newcastle United footballer David Eatock has become the latest to say he was abused by coach George Ormond.

He told the BBC’s Victoria Derbyshire show he had been groomed by Ormond, later to be jailed for six years, between the ages of 18 and 21.

Mr Eatock, now 40, was not part of the court case that saw Ormond convicted in 2002 of assaulting seven boys, but he has now filed a complaint to police.

New England football manager Gareth Southgate said the allegations of abuse from former players – mostly from his generation – were “heartbreaking”.

At his first news conference as manager, he said the bravery of those who had spoken out was “exceptional”, and revealed he had played with one of them although did not name him.

There had been “enormous strides” made in protecting young players, he told reporters.

BBC