Child abuse police fly to India

Four detectives have flown to India to question children allegedly abused by a Cheltenham charity worker.

Retired teacher Matthew Patrick, 62, has been accused of sexually assaulting at least two children at a boarding school in Chennai, south east India.

The St George's Anglo-Indian School is run by a small charity, The Batemans Trust, based in Abingdon, Oxfordshire.

Trustee Ben Arora said: "We are aware of the inquiry and we are co-operating in every way we can."

Video interviews

A team from Gloucestershire Police, led by child abuse specialist Detective Inspector Mark Little, arrived in India earlier this week.

They have conducted video interviews with several children, who were aged about five or six when the alleged attacks took place in 2006.

The officers, who were expected to remain in India until next Wednesday, also met charity founder Alexandra Thompson and school principal Paul Victor Samuel.

Mr Patrick is suspected of sexually abusing children at the boarding school while working as an after-school tutor and cricket coach.

He returned to Britain after three years in India in 2006, but was arrested when a complaint was made against him by senior members of the charity.

A Gloucestershire Police spokeswoman said: "Four officers from Gloucestershire Constabulary have travelled to Chennai, India, to conduct inquiries relating to an ongoing criminal investigation.

Founded in 1998, the Batemans charity says it funds and supports 130 Anglo-Indian children and young people in Chennai.