THE South Oxhey community has been struggling to come to terms with the revelation a gang of sex attackers have been carrying out a reign of terror over families living there.

But, while Mr John Horsfield, chief executive of Hertfordshire charity SACCAA, (The Sexually Abused Children's Counselling and Advocacy Agency) finds this case very strange and disturbing, dealing with wide -scale sexual attacks is not new to him.

A few years ago, he was deeply involved in the investigation into the high-profile Hemel Hempstead case of Peter Mackenzie, who abused a large number of children who mostly attended the same primary school.

Mackenzie was eventually jailed and was described as the most evil man in Britain.

Mr Horsfield, who worked for Hertfordshire County Council's social services department for 23 years and now works voluntarily for SACCAA, said: 'A lot was learned from this experience.

'I think we are dealing with paedophiles in the South Oxhey case, too, and these men are not going to be cured, that's the certain thing.

'They can't change their sexual preference any more than you or I can change ours.

'Paedophiles are interested in children and when they become adults they lose interest. They are dangerous.

'From the information I've been given so far, it's horrific what is happening in South Oxhey. They are clearly well-organised and highly dangerous.

'They need to be caught and locked up for as long as possible.'

Mr Horsfield, 57, is a former Watford councillor and Mayor of Watford.

He worked on three major investigations, including Mackenzie, while working for social services.

For 11 years he was supervisor and consultant to the Herts Incest Survivors Group and spent six years as a social worker in South Oxhey.

After taking early retirement, he set up SACCAA with three colleagues from the incest survivors group in 1996, because, he said, they felt there was a need for more one-to-one support for victims.

The charity, which has an office in Sparrows House, Sparrows Herne, Bushey, has a team of seven trained counsellors who were abused themselves and workers who support victims through the legal process.

It has already received one call from a mother of a South Oxhey victim who, he feels, was ringing on behalf of herself and others.

The married father of two daughters and grandfather said: 'The whole South Oxhey community is going to be affected by what is happening there. I like South Oxhey and think the people there are tremendous.

'There are families who have been there since it was first built, when all that was there was a railway line and some houses, no pubs or churches.

'They had to fight to get what they've got.'

He said his main concern at the moment was helping the young victims and he has offered to work with social services and police on this difficult case.

Hertfordshire police have said they know of 20 girls aged between 12 and 16 who have been attacked by groups of men aged from their late teens to mid-50's. They have been first befriended and then sexually and physically abused by them.

They are so scared none of them have given formal statements, say police.

Mr Horsfield said: 'I do want to stress that we don't think other agencies are doing a bad job with this, in South Oxhey there has been group therapy with the victims for example, but we think there needs to be a wide range of support and often victims find it easier to speak to people who know what they are going through.

'Our aim is to try to help people get on with their lives.

'We don't go in for years of counselling but they can come back when they need us.

'But we are also there to try to give them the strength to give evidence against the perpetrators so they can be put away.'

Victims of child sexual abuse can contact the charity on 020 9507855.