Greater Manchester Police indentifies 10 football sexual abuse suspects

The country's third largest police force launched their investgation on Tuesday

The country's third largest police force launched their investigation on Tuesday (Getty)

Ten suspects have been identified in a major police probe into historical child sex abuse in youth football as the scandal continued to grow.

Greater Manchester Police (GMP) said it was investigating reports from 35 people and its inquiry is growing on a "daily basis".

It comes as new England manager Gareth Southgate revealed he was once a teammate of one ex-professional who has spoken out about his ordeal.

Earlier, the National Police Chiefs' Council said around 350 people across the country had reported abuse.

The number comes from information supplied by forces across the UK to Operation Hydrant, set up in 2014 to oversee investigations into historical child sex abuse concerning prominent people, and referrals from the NSPCC helpline.

GMP's Assistant Chief Constable Debbie Ford said the force was coordinating with Operation Hydrant.

She said: "We have received a number of calls from victims and those with concerns and on a daily basis the investigation is growing. We are currently in the process of speaking to victims in person and providing them with specialist support.

"As of today, Thursday 1 December 2016, we are investigating reports from 35 victims and we have identified 10 suspects."

PA