Football abuse: All top London clubs investigated
National figures suggest 526 victims have made allegations against individuals connected with 248 clubs.
Monday 30 January 2017 19:36, UK
All five Premier League clubs in London are now caught up in the football sex abuse scandal, Scotland Yard has said.
The Metropolitan Police are investigating 255 separate allegations against individuals at 77 clubs, including Arsenal, Chelsea, Tottenham, West Ham United and Crystal Palace.
There are allegations against suspects connected with three London clubs in the Championship and three in Leagues One and Two.
The other 66 named clubs from the capital include non-league and amateur teams, including youth organisations.
The numbers have risen steadily since November when the first allegation was made in the current wave of complaints.
They are likely to increase again.
Detective Chief Superintendent Ivan Balhatchet said: "The Met take all allegations seriously and specialist officers will work through the information passed to them."
It is understood that the force has also had allegations made to it involving clubs outside the capital.
More than 20 forces around the country are now investigating historical allegations that go back to the 1960s.
Both the Football Association and the Scottish FA have launched reviews into previous allegations to see if they could or should have done more to investigate.
The most recent national figures suggest that 526 victims have made allegations against individuals connected with 248 clubs, with 184 suspects being investigated.
Scotland Yard said: "Anyone who has been the victim of sexual assault should contact their local force, or call the NSPCC help line on 0800 023 2642."