A suspected paedophile was reportedly allowed to continue working in football for several years despite being reported to police and the Scottish Football Association.

Hugh Stevenson, who is now dead, has previously been accused of a number of sexual assaults on children during his time working as both a coach and referee.

According to BBC Sport, however, Stevenson was allowed to carry on working in his roles despite the authorities knowing of the serious allegations.

As a result of the investigation, the SFA has suspended former coach and official Mitch Agnew as it launches its own independent probe into the handling of complaints.

The news comes less than a week after it was reported that former Southampton youth coach Bob Higgins, accused of abusing boys in the 1980s, was not police checked when taking on a new position elsewhere.

As many as 83 potential suspects are involved in the alleged child sex abuse scandal, spanning 98 football clubs in Northern Ireland, Wales, Scotland and England.