'No truth' in ex-police chief Gordon Anglesea abuse allegations

There is "no truth" in allegations a former police chief visited a children's home to abuse boys, a court has heard.

Ex-North Wales Police Supt Gordon Anglesea, 79, of Old Colwyn, Conwy, denies sexually abusing two teenage boys in the 1980s.

Mr Anglesea took to the witness stand at Mold Crown Court on Thursday.

Asked if he had visited Wrexham's Bryn Estyn home to carry out abuse, he replied: "No."

It was the first time Mr Anglesea had addressed the jury since the trial began three weeks ago.

The prosecution has claimed that the offences took place in the 1980s when Mr Anglesea was a police inspector based in Wrexham.

His trial has been told that Mr Anglesea allegedly had links to convicted paedophiles, including convicted care home owner John Allen, who is serving a life sentence.

One alleged victim of the former police officer said he was first sexually assaulted by Allen while in care at a different home - Bryn Alyn Children's Home in Wrexham - before being "used like a toy" by other men at an address in Mold, including Mr Anglesea.

The defendant said: "I know of John Allen," but had only met him once in a public meeting.

He also denied links to other convicted paedophiles, including a man called Gary Cooke, and said he did not abuse boys in his presence.

Asked by defence barrister Tania Griffiths QC about his visits to the Bryn Estyn Children's Home, the ex-officer said he went there to administer police cautions.

He explained that he would have to ring the bell and wait outside until the appropriate staff member would come to let him in.

"You were not allowed to walk around Bryn Estyn without supervision," he said.

The other complainant in the trial has told the court that he was sexually abused in showers at an attendance centre run by Mr Anglesea in Wrexham.

But the defendant denied going to the shower area after physical education sessions, or of watching boys in the shower.

Finishing her questioning, Ms Griffiths asked: "Have you ever behaved inappropriately with any boy or child?"

"None whatsoever," said Mr Anglesea.

'Appalled'

Earlier on Thursday, Mr Anglesea was asked about being awarded £375,000 in libel damages after a national newspaper published a story in 1991 under the heading "New Child Abuse Scandal".

The report detailed how Bryn Estyn care home residents claimed he was a regular visitor to the home and had recently retired.

Asked how he felt about the article, he said he was "appalled" and "intensely angry".

He told the court the allegations at the heart of the libel case were "completely untrue" and described how, even after the libel trial, the issue "never went away".

Asked if he retired suddenly, Mr Anglesea admitted he had.

He told the court: "I was going to be investigated in relation to travel expenses."

He explained he was told he was going to be suspended during the investigation and so "decided to retire".

Mr Anglesea denies two allegations of indecent assault and one serious sexual assault on one boy and the indecent assault of another.

The trial continues.