A UK scoutmaster who dubbed himself The Colonel has been jailed for 10 years for sexually abusing eight boys in his care.

David Ferron, 62, took the youngsters out of the Scout movement to form a “quasi-military organisation” which gave him greater opportunity to prey on his victims, Manchester Crown Court heard.

He targeted boys at the group base in Middleton where he lived and on camping trips, where he would strike when they were in their sleeping bags or in the showers.

The catalogue of abuse took place between 1987 and 1994 on boys aged between seven and 15.

His victims came forward eight years after his conviction in 2001 for taking indecent photographs of other boys in the group while they slept.

Mr Ferron was jailed for 12 months in 2001 but police found more indecent photographs on his computer when they searched his home following his latest arrest.

They found evidence that he had opened three accounts on the Bebo social networking site and posed as a 50-year-old youth counsellor who specialised in sexual issues.

Passing sentence, Judge Clement Goldstone QC told him: “You are a depraved and perverted man who saw your position as Scout or rangemaster as an opportunity to take advantage and to abuse no fewer than eight young and impressionable boys.

“You breached the total trust which they and their parents placed in you.

“I am left in no doubt that, when you removed your group from the Scout movement, your opportunity for abuse increased and you took full advantage.”

Mr Ferron, of Mills Hill Road, Middleton, pleaded guilty at an earlier hearing to 20 counts of indecent assault, six counts of indecency with a child, one count of attempted buggery and six counts of possessing indecent photographs.