CHESHIRE Police have issued a statement after paedophile football coach Barry Bennell's sentencing.

Bennell - who served as Crewe Alex youth team coach in the 1980s and early 1990s - has had four years in custody and an extra year on licence added to the sentence of 30 years prison plus one on licence he received when he was convicted of 43 sex offences at Liverpool Crown Court in 2018.

This time he entered guilty pleas to nine offences against two victims, one a youngster in Crewe's youth system, and appeared for entencing at Chester Crown Court today.

Det. Insp Sarah Oliver, who led the investigation, said: "There is no doubt that Barry Bennell is a predatory paedophile who abused his position of trust for his own sexual gratification and the sentence handed down today reinforces that.

"No-one should ever have to experience what these boys did – and at such a young age. Bennell was highly regarded by many and took advantage of these budding footballers at a time in their life when he knew they were vulnerable.

"He knew right from wrong but continued on the path that sadly destroyed many lives along the way.

"He has shown little remorse for his actions – but, in this case, did spare his victims the trauma of having to re-live what happened to them during a trial by admitting his guilt. This would undoubtedly have been a very difficult and upsetting experience for them.

"I hope that this decision helps to provide them with some closure after so many years of pain trying to deal with and make sense of what happened to them."

DI Oliver added: "No-one should ever feel ashamed about talking about what happened to them – no matter how long ago that might be. We should never underestimate the impact that this type of offending has on the victims. In this case, they have shown remarkable bravery and courage and I would like to thank them for their continued support throughout the investigation.

"I hope that the conclusion today helps to close a painful chapter and hopefully open up a new one where they can start to rebuild their lives."

David Keane, Police and Crime Commissioner for Cheshire, said: "It is vitally important that victims of sexual abuse come forward and talk about what happened to them so justice can be served on perpetrators of sexual abuse.

"Anyone who has been a victim of sexual abuse – no matter how long ago the incident took place – is urged to come forward and report it. I will continue to work with victims to ensure they are listened to and are provided with the relevant specialist support that they need."