AN investigation is under way today into alleged child sex abuse by a teacher at an Ipswich primary school in the late 1970s.The man lodging the complaint claims he was indecently assaulted in a classroom over a two-year period and said he still carries the mental scars today.

AN investigation is under way today into alleged child sex abuse by a teacher at an Ipswich primary school in the late 1970s.

The man lodging the complaint claims he was indecently assaulted in a classroom over a two-year period and said he still carries the mental scars today.

The depth of the 38-year-old's trauma is such that he said he tried to commit suicide through an overdose last year.

Detectives are currently trying to establish whether his alleged abuser is still alive and, if so, where he now lives.

The victim said what he went through turned him from a normal happy child into a withdrawn youngster. During his mid to late teenage years he turned into a violent criminal who spent years in young offenders' institutions.

Over the past 20 years the man has turned his life around. He said he has not re-offended since 1987 and has used his life to help others. However, the nightmares of his childhood remain with him, as does his anger at the teacher.

The victim, who lives in Ipswich, said: “He killed my innocence. It destroyed a lot of my life. I was eight and nine. It was systematic and quite horrendous. It carried on until I was moved out of his class.

“The effect on my life has been absolutely horrendous. I was an intelligent young lad, quite outgoing. After that my mum used to find me (hiding) in cupboards and I was bullied.

“I hated going to school. At 15 I just blew up and starting hitting people. At 16 I got six months in youth custody and when I was 17 I got five years youth custody for a robbery.”

He added his ability to form and retain relationships has also been severely affected.

The man said: “My personal life has been in bits. I suffer from horrendous depression. Unfortunately last September it got too much for me. I tried to kill myself in Dover and got airlifted to hospital in Canterbury.”

The man said he first approached police in Hampshire, where he lived at the time, in September 2006. However he claims he heard nothing from them and it was only last month that the matter was passed to Suffolk police.

Although he is full of praise for the way detectives in Ipswich have handled the inquiry, the man has now made a complaint to the Independent Police Complaints Commission against Hampshire Constabulary.

Louise Rosher, a spokeswoman for Ipswich police, said: “Officers are carrying out inquiries in Ipswich in relation to allegations made of inappropriate behaviour in the late 1970s at an Ipswich primary school.”

A spokeswoman for SCC said it was aware of the investigation but could comment no further.

Meanwhile, a spokeswoman for the IPCC confirmed a complaint has been lodged about Hampshire Police.