Northumbria Police investigate historic sex abuse claims at Sunderland Foundation of Light

Northumbria Police has confirmed that is is investigating claims of historic sexual abuse at Sunderland's Foundation of Light.

This is the first time the charity arm of the football club has been linked to a recent increase in reports of abuse from within the sporting community.

In response, Northumbria Police set up Operation Tide in December to support and investigate reports within the force are.

Early investigations involved Newcastle United. The force has now confirmed that 25 people have contacted them in relation to eight suspects across nine different sporting clubs, including Sunderland's Foundation of Light.

Following the statement from Northumbria Police, the Foundation of Light issued the following statement:

Anyone who has suffered abuse is asked to contact the Operation Tide team on 101 or seek advice from the dedicated NSPCC helpline on 0800 023 2642.