A teaching assistant in Ilford who preyed on young boys at his scout group has been given 11 years in jail.

Scout leader Antony Allen, 27, performed sex acts on boys from his group during a four year period.

Allen abused them during the course of his voluntary activities with the scouts and even at the children’s homes while their families were downstairs.

None of the offences that he was charged with took place in connection with his job at Woodlands Primary School, Loxford Lane.

At Snaresbrook Crown Court on Friday, Judge Nigel Peters QC gave Allen an 11-year prison sentence for his “appalling and evil” conduct.

He said: “You went into this, eyes open, knowing you would have the opportunity to mix with young children. You indulged yourself - it’s clear this is what you were doing.

“Not withstanding the huge amount of concern from press and public, these things still happen again and again. We all know the checks and balances that should now take place.

“But you were able to run, lock, stock and barrel, a scouts club on your own, under your own rules.”

Allen, of Botha Road, Plaistow joined the scout group when he was 16.

He also worked as a primary school teaching assistant, and served two years in the army reserves, with a unit based in West Ham.

He was arrested at Heathrow Airport on September 15 on his way back from military training in Estonia.

Allen initially pleaded not guilty to the offences but changed to a guilty plea in February.

He was sentenced to nine years for six counts of sexual assault of a child under 13 and six counts of sexual activity with a child. He was given two years for making 30 indecent images of children, possessing 30 category A images, 28 category B images and 611 category C images. These included a webcam of a teenage boy and a video of a young child with a male adult.

Police found images Allen had made on his personal computer when they seized it on September 14.

Allen was also given a £170 surcharge and a sexual offences prevention order.