Operation Xeres: Second Nottinghamshire sex abuse inquiry

Skegby Hall, near Mansfield, was used as a children's home in the 1940s

A new police investigation into child abuse at Nottinghamshire care homes and secure units will look at allegations that date back more than 70 years.

Operation Xeres will investigate alleged abuse at a former children's home at Skegby Hall, near Mansfield.

The inquiry will look at nine other centres where children were allegedly physically or sexually abused.

Operation Daybreak is already looking at child abuse at homes in Nottingham in the 1960s.

The 10 centres, all of which have either closed or changed their use since the time of the alleged abuse, include Skegby Hall, Whatton youth detention centre, three former residential centres in Mansfield and five others in Worksop, Southwell and Stapleford.

The new inquiry will have a 20-person investigation team, including two social workers.

Three of the 23 allegations involve a former youth detention centre on the site of Whatton Prison, where teenage inmates were detained.

The police will look at whether the abuse was systematic or organised but said they were aware many records no longer existed and some of the alleged perpetrators may have died.