Police have launched an investigation into the author of The Penguin Lessons following allegations of historic sexual abuse.
Up to 11 men are said to have made claims against their former teacher Mike Thompson, who wrote under the pseudonym of Tom Michell.
It follows a probe by Channel 4, which is investigating the author’s time at Truro School in Cornwall and the Old Malthouse School in Dorset.
Thompson has denied all allegations against him and claimed that if abuse occurred, he was not responsible.
Three former pupils at The Old Malthouse, which is now closed, recently came forward claiming they had been sexually abused by Thompson in the 1970s.
And now, since the broadcast last month, Channel 4 has reported three more former students have spoken out over allegations from the same period.
Dorset Police yesterday confirmed that it will investigate allegations of sexual abuse at The Old Malthouse and will include Truro School, where Thompson taught after returning from Argentina – the chapter of his life which inspired his memoir and the subsequent film adaptation starring Steve Coogan.
Channel 4 said the three men who spoke to them last month have now contacted the police regarding their allegations.
Mike Thompson, who wrote under the pseudonym of Tom Michell, has denied all allegations against him and claimed that if abuse occurred, he was not responsible
The author, pictured with Steve Coogan at the UK Premier of The Penguin Lessons, at The Curzon Mayfair in April of this year
Thompson, who calls the claims ‘entirely unfounded and a fabrication’, worked at The Old Malthouse before his Argentina trip in 1976, which proved to be a pivotal point in his life.
He claims to have rescued the penguin while travelling, which inspired his 2015 novel The Penguin Lessons.
Thompson returned to the UK to teach at Truro School by 1980. There he taught chemistry and served as housemaster in a career that spanned over 25 more years before he retired two decades ago.
The author was previously reported to police over allegations relating to The Old Malthouse and was interviewed under caution, and no further action was taken at the time.
Channel 4 News reported that after its original report, Truro School’s headmaster sent an email to alumni expressing his shock at the allegations and encouraging anyone with concerns to come forward.
The broadcaster said the Cornish boarding school claimed it had not previously received specific allegations about Thompson, and stated that when he attended events at the school following his retirement, he was never given unsupervised access to children.
Through his lawyer, Thompson said: ‘I continue to maintain my innocence and categorically deny these dreadful, soul-destroying allegations.
‘I have never behaved inappropriately towards any student.
‘These serious and historic allegations are unfounded and diametrically opposite to my conduct, character or professional record.
‘I reiterate my unequivocal position that if these individuals were abused fifty years ago, they have my sympathy, but it was not me who was responsible.’
Penguin Random House, the publisher of the Penguin Lessons, said it was unaware of the allegations prior to the Channel 4 investigation.
‘It is concerning to learn of additional allegations,’ the publisher wrote in a statement.
‘The book was published in 2015, two years before any allegations were first reported to the police, and the Channel 4 investigation is the first time we were made aware of them. We take this very seriously and will be monitoring the situation closely.’
According to Channel 4, the film’s production company and actor Steve Coogan, who portrays Thompson in the film, declined to comment.
