Nottinghamshire children's homes abuse: 80 potential victims found

Beechwood Children's Home closed in 2006

Police have identified 80 potential victims of physical and sexual abuse at five children's care homes in Nottinghamshire.

The homes include Beechwood Children's Home in Mapperley, where some former residents have already been awarded compensation.

Police have arrested ten men so far but seven will not face any further action.

One of the ten has died since being questioned, but two men are still being investigated on suspicion of rape.

One former Beechwood resident claims he was gang raped from the age of ten.

James Cleverley said he tried to get help from police, but was not believed at the time.

Mr Cleverley, now 53, said the abuse had affected him throughout his life, and he still takes sleeping tablets and anti-depressants.

"I break down sometimes when I feel a bit down and if I've had a drink that's even worse; the memories just come flooding back," he said.

"At night time I wake up and even though I'm on very high sleeping tablets I still wake up with nightmares.

"Mentally I can never forget it, never."

'Big paedophile ring'

He said he was also abused when he went to other homes.

"Every home I went to it seemed like they knew that I was the sort of lad that they could do that to, to abuse me," he said.

"It seemed like a big paedophile ring."

He said he went to a mental hospital for a while and has been "in and out of prison".

"It's hard for me to have a relationship with people now, especially men, my friends, because I think to myself they did it to me when I was younger, they might try it with me now," he said.

"They were supposed to be there to look after me, not to abuse me."

James Cleverley said he complained but was not believed