Five more Basildon care homes are to be investigated by detectives following the jailing of two paedophiles for a string of brutal assaults on vulnerable children.

The homes, under Tower Hamlets Council's control until 1989 but since sold off to become residential houses, will be part of Operation Mapperton's ongoing investigation into child abuse.

Bill Starling, 74, of Rantree Fold, Basildon, was a former care worker both at the St Leonard's home in Hornchurch and Greensteads in Basildon.

He was jailed in April for 14 years after being found guilty of abusing 11 children - some as young as five - over a 20-year period.

Earlier this month, Alan Prescott, St Leonard's superintendent - a former JP, Labour councillor and assistant director of social services in Tower Hamlets - received a two-year jail sentence after admitting four charges of indecent assault on youngsters in his care.

A child protection consultant working with the Operation Mapperton team, set up in 1999 to investigate allegations of sexual abuse at the two homes, said the initial remit will mean further investigations.

A spokesman for the London Borough of Tower Hamlets has admitted the five other homes in Basildon - a second in Greensteads, and the others in Timberlog Lane, Luncies Road, Linford Drive and Maplin Gardens - would now be part of the investigation.

Det Chief Insp Danny O'Malley, who has headed the police operation from the start, has admitted there was evidence that Starling and Prescott may have abused at least 70 children at the homes in Hornchurch and Basildon.

Information from Tower Hamlets suggests around 3,000 children passed through St Leonard's home between 1965 and 1984. While Starling was at Greensteads from 1984 until he retired in 1990 it is thought hundreds more were at the six Basildon homes.

Victims can contact Childline on 0800 1111 or a Tower Hamlets abuse helpline, 0208 217 5970

Converted for the new archive on 19 November 2001. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.