NORTH Yorkshire Police has launched an investigation into allegations of historical child sex abuse in football.

The force said following widespread publicity surrounding allegations of child sexual abuse within footballing, it had been contacted by the national Operation Hydrant in relation to non-recent sexual abuse allegations in the county, but did not specify where.

It said officers were not in a position to release the number of reports or referrals as they were being coordinated by Operation Hydrant.

A police spokesman said: “We urge anyone who has been a victim of sexual abuse and anyone else with information, to please contact their local police on 101, regardless of how long ago it happened. If you are in immediate danger, always call 999.

“Operation Hydrant will continue to coordinate all responses nationally and those cases where there is a live risk of threat or harm will be prioritised for action by forces.”

More than 20 former players have now spoken out about alleged abuse, including former Newcastle United footballer Derek Bell, who waived his anonymity to BBC 5 Live.

He said he was sexually assaulted when he played for a local boys' club in the 1970s, and, after seeing his abuser again more than 20 years after the offences, decided to try to kill him.

"I went to his house with a 12-inch knife hidden in my pocket, and I kicked his door in," Mr Bell told Emma Barnett on the show. "Luckily for him, that evening, he wasn't in.

"I told my friends at that point because I'd kept it a secret for a lot of years. I went and told my close friends, who've been absolutely incredibly supportive, and told them what had happened to me, and they said 'Right, let's do something about it', but I said 'No, I'll do something about it'."

Changing his mind about his course of action, he said he headed back to the man's house a couple of days later with a recording device in his pocket to ask him why and what his motivation was.

Mr Bell said: "And not one time did he say he was sorry." His abuser was eventually jailed after Mr Bell took the tape to the police.

The national child abuse inquiry headed by Professor Alexis Jay is considering whether to investigate abuse in football as part of its overarching probe, Culture Secretary Karen Bradley told MPs.

And ministers are writing to all national sporting bodies to ask them to ''redouble their efforts'' to protect children in the wake of the scandal.

A number of football clubs have become embroiled in the scandal - Chelsea have announced they have retained a law firm to carry out an investigation concerning one of the club's 1970s employees, who is now dead.

The FA has commissioned a "dedicated NSPCC helpline for adults who were victims of sexual abuse in childhood within the football industry" which can be contacted at all hours on 0800 023 2642.