DETECTIVES working on a long-standing inquiry into abuse at an independent Suffolk school today arrested a fourth man as part of the inquiry into alleged historic assaults on pupils.

The man who lives in the Ipswich area was questioned in relation to a sexual abuse allegation at St George’s School in Great Finborough dating back 30 years.

He is understood to have been arrested at his home address this morning and taken to Martlesham police investigation centre where he is being questioned.

His home was also searched by officers.

It is understood one allegation has been made against the suspect.

A spokeswoman for Suffolk Constabulary confirmed the arrest: “Suffolk police have today arrested a 59-year-old man from the Ipswich area in connection with the ongoing investigation into historic allegations of abuse at St George’s School, Great Finborough in the 1980s.”

The inquiry, codenamed Operation Racecourse, has been a wide-ranging investigation dating back several years.

Derek Slade, the head of St George’s School in the late 1970s and early 1980s, was jailed for 21 years at Ipswich Crown Court in 2010.

The 63-year-old was convicted more than 50 offences, including a catalogue of sexual and physical abuse relating to 12 boys at the school.

Earlier this year another teacher Alan Brigden was jailed for five years after being convicted of sex assaults on pupils at St George’s, when it was based in Norfolk.

He had previously been extradited from Holland when he had been living.

The 67-year-old, who was known as Alan Morton when he taught at the school while it was based at Wicklewood admitted 14 child sex offences.

At the time of Brigden’s offences in 1977 and 1980 he was teaching at a boys’ boarding school in Sussex, and then at the former St George’s School, in Norfolk.

Another former teacher at St George’s, Alan Williams, was arrested was also arrested on suspicion of abuse last year, but was subsequently found dead at his Stowmarket home.