Police Scotland are "actively monitoring" football child sex abuse allegations which have recently emerged in England.

More than 20 former players have come forward with allegations of historical child abuse south of the border, prompting the Football Association in England to step up its review.

The revelations came to the fore in recent days after Barry Bennell, who was given a nine-year jail term in 1998 after being convicted of a string of sex offences against young boys, was cast into the public spotlight once again after one of his victims spoke out.

Police Scotland are looking into "the developing situation" and Scotland's child commissioner says they are "bracing ourselves" for Scottish cases.

On Sunday, the FA instructed independent leading counsel Kate Gallafent QC to oversee its internal review into the spate of allegations relating to Crewe Alexandra, Manchester City, Stoke City, Blackpool, Newcastle United and Leeds United, which other clubs also believed to be involved.

She will be tasked with assessing "what information the FA was aware of at the relevant times, what clubs were aware of, and what action was or should have been taken".

The Metropolitan Police, Hampshire Police and Cheshire Police have said they are investigating allegations of abuse in the football community.

Northumbria Police said it was investigating an allegation by an unnamed former Newcastle player that he was abused in the club's youth system.

Detective chief superintendent Lesley Boal, of Police Scotland Public Protection, said: "Police Scotland is actively monitoring the developing situation in relation to reports of non-recent child abuse involving football clubs.

"We will continue to work with partners, including the National Police Chief's Council through Operation Hydrant, the Scottish Football Association and the NSPCC to ensure a coordinated police response is in place and we maintain an accurate picture of child abuse investigations.

"Speaking out about any form of child abuse is incredibly difficult and disclosures are often made many years after an incident took place.

"Police Scotland will listen to any such disclosure, regardless of the passage of time, and will investigate as well as work with partner organisations who have access to advocacy and support during the process of disclosure and investigation."

Scotland's children and young people's commissioner Tam Baillie told STV News: "I think it would be surprising if there weren't instances of people in Scotland who are contacting the helplines.

"We can't say just now but certainly the speed of response, early response, to the helplines would indicate there's more to come. We are bracing ourselves as to how large that would actually be."

Ms Boal said: "We appreciate that sometimes finding a safe place to first talk about experiences helps eventual disclosure and would encourage anybody who feels this would assist to contact a support organisation.

"Details of such organisations can be accessed via Survivor Scotland www.survivorscotland.org.uk.

"Keeping children and young people safe is a top priority for Police Scotland, and everyone has a role to play to protect the country's children.

"If you suspect someone is being abused, please contact Police Scotland on 101."

Former professional footballer Andy Woodward became the first to speak out last week about abuse he suffered at the hands of Bennell.

The coach, who worked for Crewe, Manchester City, Stoke and junior teams in north west England and the Midlands, abused young boys from the 1970s onwards.

He was jailed for four years for raping a British boy on a 1994 football tour of Florida, and then, aged 44, was given a nine-year sentence for 23 offences against six boys in England in 1998.

He was jailed for a third time in 2015 after admitting abusing a boy at a 1980 football camp in Macclesfield, Cheshire.

Those to have made allegations against Bennell include former Manchester City star David White and youth players Jason Dunford and Chris Unsworth, plus ex-Crewe player Steve Walters.

Bennell was taken to hospital on Friday after police were called when he was found unconscious in a park in Stevenage, Hertfordshire, following a "fear for welfare incident"