Media playback is unsupported on your device Media caption Steve Walters: 'I was inconsolable'

Four police forces say they are now investigating allegations of historical child sex abuse within football. England captain Wayne Rooney has also urged anyone who may have been abused to seek help, while former Wales international Robbie Savage, who played for Crewe between 1994 and 1997, speculated that there could be hundreds of victims of sexual abuse in football. Scotland Yard, Northumberland police, Cheshire police and Hampshire police have launched separate investigations after a string of former footballers came forward following the Guardian revelation that former footballer Andy Woodward, 43, had suffered at the hands of convicted child abuser Barry Bennell, a former coach at Crewe Alexandra. “I just think that we have more and more victims, thankfully, who are having the confidence to come forward knowing the police service’s response and society’s response to their abuse is now very different.”

The Metropolitan police, Hampshire police and Cheshire police have all said they are investigating allegations of abuse in the football community. Ex-England and Manchester City players David White and Paul Stewart and former Crewe Alexandra player Steve Walters have also spoken out about being sexually abused by football coaches as children. Bennell, who worked for Crewe, Manchester City, Stoke and several junior teams in north-west England and the Midlands, sexually abused young boys across three decades from the 1970s onwards. The club are in the process of a review and I won’t be making any further comment until this is finalised.”

Bennell was sentenced to nine years in prison in 1998 after admitting 23 specimen charges of sexual offences against six boys aged nine to 15, with another 22 offences left on file. Upon his return to the country, he was sentenced to nine years in 1998 after admitting abusing boys aged nine to 14 during the 70s, 80s and early 90s. “As a result the club is undertaking a thorough investigation of any past links he might have had with the organisation.”

Ex-youth coach Bennell worked for Crewe, Manchester City, Stoke and a number of junior clubs in the area in a scouting capacity, prior to the first of his three convictions for abuse. The national inquiry into child sexual abuse has already contacted all forces in England and Wales asking them to urgently forward details of any allegations they have recently received.
Four police forces in England say they are actively investigating allegations of child sexual abuse in association football. Several ex-players have gone public with allegations against former Crewe Alexandra and Manchester City coach Barry Bennell.