INVESTIGATIONS are being carried out to see if a police surgeon sexually abused recruits at a police training school near Taunton.

So far at least 11 people have given statements saying they were indecently assaulted by Avon and Somerset Police surgeon Dr Reg Bunting, who died in 2013 aged 80.

Victims have come forward with a range of complaints including claims some were ordered to strip during routine physicals; he fondled other cadets; and ogled their near naked bodies.

The identity of the complainants has not been revealed, but their complaints relate to incidents during the 1980s and 1990s.

But Dr Bunting was a regular visitor to Canonsgrove, where force recruits were taught the ropes up until its closure in 1994.

It has also been suggested that complaints may have been covered up in the early 1980s.

The allegations against Dr Bunting were referred to the Independent Police Complaints Commission by Avon and Somerset Police when they surfaced.

A report being compiled by the force will be sent to the IPCC.

Detective Superintendent Rachel Williams said: “Our investigation is in its relatively early stages and it’s still not yet clear how extensive it will be.

“After victims came forward with the first allegations we made an immediate referral to the IPCC to seek their advice.

“They asked us to do some further work which is now almost complete and our report will be going back to the IPCC very shortly for their consideration about next steps.

“This was a very brave decision by the victims to come forward after so many years, and we’re doing all we can to support and safeguard them with counselling and one to one support from our independent sexual violence advisors and the Bridge, our sexual assault referral centre."

An IPCC spokesman said: “We received a referral from Avon and Somerset Constabulary in April.

“We advised the force to continue their inquiries to gather more detail before re-referring matters to the IPCC as necessary.

“At that stage we will determine the level of any IPCC involvement needed in an investigation.”

Kevin Phillips, of the Police Federation, declined to comment as the investigation, which has echoes of the Jimmy Savile case in that the alleged offender is dead and cannot be prosecuted, is currently ongoing.

Mark Williams-Thomas, the former detective who exposed Savile as a paedophile in a TV documentary, told the Mail on Sunday: “It is very concerning to hear the nature of the allegations against Dr Bunting, especially given that concerns were raised previously while he was alive.

“I have spoken to a number of the alleged victims and the accounts given paint a picture of a worrying pattern of behaviour by a person in a significant position of trust.”