St John's in paedophile inquiry

Police who have been investigating an alleged paedophile ring involving the St John Ambulance Brigade last night charged four men with a number of serious sexual assaults.

The men, named as Eric Attfield, 68, of Aldershot; Colin Hawyes, 50, of Farnborough, Hampshire; Barry Hyam, 43, of Farnborough, and Nicholas Bound, 38, of Ash Vale, Surrey, will appear before magistrates at Aldershot in Hampshire, today.

A fifth man, David Hunter, 39, of Basildon, Essex, has been charged with indecent assault and bailed to a later date, and a sixth, who has not been charged, remains in police custody. Police have interviewed hundreds of men in connection with alleged serious sexual offences dating back to the 1960s. Matthew Brace