Two women who were sexually abused as children by a Shropshire schoolteacher have received payouts for their ordeals.

Gordon Fleming, 68, was jailed in 2017 for 10 years, after he pleaded guilty to 35 counts of indecent assault.

They related to incidents at schools across North Wales during the 1970s and 1980s.

Following his conviction, many people came forward about the abuse they had suffered at the hands of Fleming, including the two women mentioned who cannot be named for legal reasons, who are now in their 40s.

Irwin Mitchell has now secured settlements for the two women who are urging survivors not to suffer in silence.

One of the women, who went to the police in 2017 after seeing in the news that Fleming had admitted 24 charges, said: “Fleming would mainly try to do things when I was on my own with him.

"I remember Fleming often grabbing my arm to pull me towards him but I would try and fight him off – he gave us all the creeps.

"I also remember him screaming, shouting, spitting and throwing things at us in the classroom."

She added: "I would encourage anyone who has suffered any kind of child abuse to go to the police as soon as they are able, even if it is decades later.

"The relief from making a statement to the police and then having help available to tackle issues resulting from the abuse has been life changing for me.

"I truly wish I had felt strong and credible enough to have done so many years ago.

"Please believe me – it is never too late to seek help. I feel that it has enabled me to move on in my life."

The other woman, said: "Fleming was a hideous teacher – he was very brazen and would touch all the girls in front of the class.

"When the bell went, we would all race to get out of the class because we knew that the last one out would be collared by Fleming and pulled back into the classroom.

"For years I suffered from low self-esteem and bottled up what had happened, then in 2017 I was at the petrol station when I saw a newspaper headline about his guilty plea.

"I had kept the abuse secret for too long – I now hope that others survivors don’t bottle things up and report what has happened to them as there is help and support out there."

Peter Lorence, expert abuse lawyer at Irwin Mitchell, said: "This is yet another shocking case where individuals have suffered terrible abuse from someone in a position of power and trust.

"While nothing will ever change what has happened to these women, we hope that his conviction and this settlement will go some way towards helping them move forward and get the support they need to go on and live happy lives.

"We are continuing to support others who were abused by Fleming so they can access the specialist support they also require to come to terms with their ordeal.

"Cases like these are a reminder that survivors of abuse should not suffer alone and can come forward safe in the knowledge that their concerns will always be handled with the greatest level of sensitivity."