Earl Spencer: 'The floodgates opened' on stories of abuse

In his book, Earl Spencer, alleges physical and sexual abuse at Maidwell Hall

Earl Spencer said the response after his revelations about the abuse he suffered at boarding school was "like the floodgates opened".

His memoir chronicles the abuse he endured when he was sent to boarding school at the age of eight.

Maidwell Hall in Northamptonshire said it was "sobering" to read about the earl's experiences.

Northamptonshire Police said it was "working to proactively investigate" the allegations by Earl Spencer.

The 59-year-old, whose family home is Althorp, also in Northamptonshire, attended Maidwell Hall between the ages of eight and 13.

In his book, A Very Private School, he alleged both sexual and physical abuse by teachers at the school.

Speaking to BBC Radio Northampton, Earl Spencer said he suffered "migraines and nightmares, and was seriously troubled writing this book".

But he revealed he been through therapy and that "all roads kept leading back to this boarding school".

Earl Spencer said talking about the abuse over the last two weeks was "very tough... and emotionally exhausting".

Earl Spencer said Maidwell Hall had not been in contact with him directly about his book

He said: "I didn't realised what I was taking on [writing the book] but it has ultimately been very good for me and I have come out on the other side a happier person."

Speaking about the reaction, he said he "can't believe what's happened, I get my inbox filled" with people sharing their experiences of abuse at boarding schools.

"It's like the floodgates opened, I've never seen anything like it," he said.

Earl Spencer, the younger brother of Diana, Princess of Wales, said he had been contacted by the wife of a friend who told him it was the "first time she's seen her husband happy" having been able to speak about his own abuse.

He also said the brother of a prefect at the school, who had "provided boys to be beaten", contacted him this week "to apologise for what his brother had done".

"It's had a real knock-on effect, far greater than I dared hope, so if it's done that, it's served its purpose," he added.

A Northamptonshire Police spokeswoman said: "Northamptonshire Police has not received any formal reports as a result of these memoirs however we are working to proactively investigate them."

She said the force encouraged anyone who "suffered sexual abuse at this establishment or indeed anywhere else in the county" to contact officers.

Earl Spencer said his father, pictured with his second wife Raine, was "a kind, sweet man" who had tried to find alternatives to boarding school

In a statement, Maidwell Hall said it was "sobering to read about the experiences Charles Spencer, and some of his fellow alumni, had at the school, and we are sorry that was their experience".

It added: "It is difficult to read about practices which were, sadly, sometimes believed to be normal and acceptable at that time.

"Within education today, almost every facet of school life has evolved significantly since the 1970s. At the heart of the changes is the safeguarding of children, and promotion of their welfare."

It said it would "encourage anyone with similar experiences to come forward and contact either Maidwell Hall, the [local authority] or the police".