A paedophile who spent nearly three decades on the run, leaving his victims to suffer, has been jailed for 46 years.

Richard Burrows, 80, formerly of Birmingham, was convicted of 54 child sex abuse charges and admitted 43 more at Chester Crown Court in March.

The court heard he abused 24 boys, some as young as nine, while a housemaster at a Cheshire boarding school and through involvement with scouts in the West Midlands between 1968 and 1995.

The jury heard one of his accusers told police he “hated” the abuse, which would happen as much as two to three times per week, but said he “could do nothing about it”, adding “I was frightened and young”.

Judge Steven Everett told Burrows at the sentencing on Wednesday: “You are a despicable man”.

When defence barrister Philip Clemo told the court that Burrows would spend his last days in prison, Everett said: “I don’t suppose there’ll be anyone who’ll mourn that.”