London: Referrals from calls to a dedicated football abuse hotline more than tripled the amount made in the first three days of the Jimmy Savile scandal, the NSPCC has revealed. Launched on November 23 to support the victims of child sex abuse within football, the charity said more than 860 calls had been made to the helpline in its first week.

NSPCC chief executive Peter Wanless said there had been a "staggering surge" in the amount of people getting in touch. "The number of high-profile footballers bravely speaking out about their ordeal has rightly caught the attention of the entire country."