It's been revealed paedophile headteacher Neil Foden may have sexually abused pupils for more than 40 years.

Foden, the former head of Ysgol Friars in Bangor, was jailed for seventeen years after he was convicted of abusing four girls between 2019 and 2023.

But according to a new TV documentary, the disgraced teacher may have abused four times as many victims as previously thought, with allegations dating back to 1979.

Two former pupils and an ex-colleague told the BBC Wales Investigates programme they were among his targets.

Jo - not her real name - says Foden groomed her for five years, including when she was a pupil at Ysgol Friars, sending hundreds of emails and messages to her.

"It was back and forth every day, in school, out of school, morning, night, any time….he made me feel like I was special.", she said.

"He'd give me hugs and I didn't always want them so I'd pull back, then he'd pull me in stronger... just without reason, his hands would go under my jumper."

"He often checked my arms and my legs to see if I'd self-harmed. If it was on my thighs, I often wore a skirt, so he'd lift the skirt up to have a look at them.” 

Jo, who was in care and known to be a vulnerable child, did not realise she had been groomed by Foden until details emerged after he was arrested at Ysgol Friars in September 2023.

She said: "The police came to me... they said that there were over 20 other people who were in similar situations as myself."

Foden began his teaching career in 1979 at Ysgol Dyffryn Ogwen in Bethesda, where later returned as a strategic headteacher before his arrest.

One of his first pupils, Nia - again, not her real name - claims she was targeted when they were both alone in his classroom.

"He'd come to the desk, stand behind me...usually his right arm would be rubbing up against my breast and I felt I couldn't move," she said. 

"As a 13-year-old, I didn't realise exactly what was going on. I was petrified of him, I was vulnerable at that age and naïve, and he knew it.” 

Nia says she didn't report Foden at the time because she thought no one would believe her - but after his arrest last year, she finally got in touch with detectives.

"This abuse has been going on for decades...you don't suddenly wake up in 2019 and decide to become a paedophile," she said. 

One of Foden's colleagues at Ysgol Friars, Rose - not her real name - claims she was the victim of a sex attack by Foden during a one-to-one meeting in his office in December 2022. 

“He definitely knew how to take advantage of situations where people were vulnerable.”

Rose continued to work with Foden until he was arrested - but she didn't tell anyone about the attack until she made a statement to North Wales Police.

Foden was charged, but the case did not make it to trial. He denied any wrongdoing, but was found guilty on a total of 19 charges, including 12 counts of sexual activity with a child and two counts of sexual activity with a child while in a position of trust.

On Tuesday, it emerged Foden did not resign from Ysgol Friars until a week after the trial began.

An independent child practice review is continuing - which Cyngor Gwynedd says will  "identify what lessons are to be learned" to prevent similar cases and will "leave no stone unturned" to gather the information it needs.

But so far, Jo and Nia say they have not been contacted by anyone involved in the review.

The Child Practice Board said they were unaware of the two women until they were contacted by BBC Wales. They said they are “fully aware they may be other victims or survivors” and that they would like to hear from them.

But according to a solicitor representing some of Foden's victims, the council could end up paying "a bill for millions" in compensation and legal costs.

Twelve people who say they suffered because of his crimes are suing the legal authority over a mixture of serious sexual abuse, physical and emotional abuse, according to Kathryn Yates.

She told BBC Wales Investigates: "The first client is now in her 50s, my youngest is 14... the council are vicariously liable for the actions of their employees."

"His actions have impacted on so many lives, that of children, their families, staff... I think he could and should have been stopped a lot sooner." 

BBC Wales Investigates - My Headteacher the Paedophile can be seen on BBC One Wales on Tuesday at 8.30pm and on BBC iPlayer for the next thirty days.