Letter detailing abuse claims at Gloucestershire boys' school 'ignored'

Pupils allege they were subject to "horrific" abuse at Dowdeswell Court School

A man who says he was abused at a boy's boarding school has said a letter sent to social services was ignored.

Police are investigating allegations of abuse at Gloucestershire's Dowdeswell Court during the 1970s and 1980s.

Former Dowdeswell pupil Malcolm Millard said he was "severely beaten" after staff discovered boys sent a letter to social services about the abuse.

Gloucestershire Police and Crime Commissioner Martin Surl guaranteed the claim "would be looked at".

The abuse allegations currently being investigated centre on Dowdeswell Court near Cheltenham, and nearby Badgeworth Court.

Clouds House in Wiltshire is also under investigation. All three schools are privately run.

It has been claimed the owner of Dowdeswell Court and Badgeworth Court, Anthony Hurley, oversaw a regime of terror, with some claiming the abuse there was "horrific".

Mr Millard told the BBC that staff regularly intercepted letters sent by pupils from Dowdeswell Court, but a group of boys "crept out of the school at night" to post a letter to the authorities.

'Absolutely shocking'

"Four weeks later the letter had come to light and I was quickly drafted out of Dowdeswell School straight to the office of Mr Hurley at Badgeworth and severely beaten," he said.

"I was threatened that if I ever, ever wrote to the social services in any regard again, I would know about it."

Mr Hurley died in 2003. He appeared in court in 2000 on allegations of cruelty and sexual abuse of children, but was deemed unfit to stand trial.

Anthony Hurley, who died in 2003, owned two schools at the centre of the allegations

Martin Surl described Mr Millard's claims as "absolutely shocking".

He said "These youngsters were crying out for help and at the time it appeared weren't getting it."

Mr Surl said he guaranteed all allegations would be looked at and urged others to come forward.