Celtic Boys Club sex abuse cases could settle for millions

Solicitors say "significant progress" has been made towards Celtic settling legal claims of historical abuse, for what the BBC understands could be millions of pounds.

More than 20 former players have launched a US-style class action against the club for damages.

Celtic indicated it was seeking to settle the cases in September.

Thompsons Solicitors has now said the valuation of all cases has progressed in the last six months.

A spokesperson added: "We do not yet have all necessary evidence to commence settlement negotiations and so the court has granted a further short sist of four months to allow opportunity to do so given the complexities of this task."

• Celtic seeks to settle Boys Club sex abuse cases

In recent years several former coaches and officials at the boys' club have been convicted of sexual offences against teenage players spanning decades.

Last year a judge gave the go-ahead for a US style "class action" group litigation to proceed against Celtic for alleged abuses at Celtic Boys Club.

The boys' club was established as a feeder team to the senior Celtic side in 1966 and the two clubs had close ties, sharing players, officials and premises.

Celtic had always insisted that it wasn't responsible because the boys' club was an "entirely different organisation."

Lawyers acting for the former players argue the boys club and Celtic were "intimately connected" and the senior club was "vicariously liable" for assaults carried out.

The litigation relates to historical claims of sexual assault by convicted paedophiles Jim Torbett - the founder of the Boys Club - and Frank Cairney, a former coach.

More recently Celtic said it was continuing discussions with the victims' lawyers.