A paedophile who was serving a life sentence for sexual abuse in north Wales children’s homes has died in prison at the age of 83.

John Allen, who ran several homes, including Bryn Alyn in Wrexham, was jailed for a minimum of 11 years in 2014 for sex offences from the 1960s to the 1990s.

He was found guilty in 2019 of seven further counts of indecent assault and one of a serious sexual offence against children as young as 13 after further victims came forward.

A prison service spokesman confirmed Allen died at HMP Bure in Norfolk on 3 May, adding: “As with all deaths in custody, the Prison and Probation Ombudsman will investigate.”

Allen set up the Bryn Alyn community of children’s homes in 1968 which, at its height, had 11 properties housing more than a 150 young people from around the UK.

The 2014 case against Allen was the first prosecution following the Operation Pallial investigation into allegations of historical sexual abuse at children’s homes which was launched by the National Crime Agency in 2012.