Two more men set to appear in court over abuse at Medomsley Detention Centre

The men, who are both former members of staff at Medomsley, which was near Consett, have been summonsed to due to appear at Newton Aycliffe Magistrates’ Court on Thursday, October 24.

The charges relate to abuse of young men at the centre.

Ian Nicholson, 74, will answer one charge of misconduct in a public office, three counts of a serious sexual offence and four counts of assault occasioning actual bodily harm.

Alexander Flavell, 86, will answer one charge of misconduct in a public office, one of indecent assault, one charge of a serious sexual offence and four charges of assault occasioning actual bodily harm.

A further four men who were being investigated as part of Operation Seabrook will face no further action.

An investigation into allegations of abuse at the detention centre, which closed in 1988, was launched by Durham Constabulary in August 2013, with the claims sparked when one man turned to his MP for help.

Named Operation Seabrook, it is now one of the largest investigations of its kind in the UK and is supported by a dedicated team of officers.

So far, 1,848 men have come forward to police to report allegations of abuse while detained at Medomsley.

The Home Office centre, was designed to take offenders aged from 17 to 21 across the North East and beyond to keep them out of prison and away from the influence of older criminals.

Earlier this year, five former prison officers – Christopher Onslow, John McGee, Alan Bramley, Kevin Blakeley and Brian Johnson Greenwell - were jailed for a total of more than 18 years for abusing former inmates at the detention centre following three separate crown court trials.

All five men have submitted appeals against their convictions.

These appeals are ongoing.