AN IPSWICH man arrested in connection with a nationwide inquiry into child abuse in north Wales has been released on bail.

The suspect – who is the first person to be detained by the inquiry team – was detained on Tuesday on suspicion of “a number of serious sexual offences”.

He was bailed yesterday after being questioned by officers from the Serious Organised Crime Agency (SOCA) at an undisclosed police station in north Wales.

A spokesman for the agency today said: “The man arrested in Suffolk has been interviewed by detectives and bailed until the end of July to allow further enquiries to be conducted.”

Officers from SOCA arrested the man in Ipswich early on Tuesday morning as part of a major inquiry codenamed Operation Pallial.

Although Suffolk Constabulary was aware of the arrests, the forced declined to say whether any of its officers were involved with the arrest as all calls were being referred to SOCA.

The crime agency had declined to state the age of the suspect or give any other details about the man.

However, as he lives in Ipswich given the time of the arrest it is likely he was detained at his home.

In November last year police launched a fresh inquiry into allegations of historic sexual abuse at children’s homes in north Wales in the 1970s and 1980s. More than 100 people came forward to make allegations after the investigation was reopened.

The allegations were said to have been made by people living in 22 police force areas outside Wales and also in the Republic of Ireland.

Among the institutions where the alleged abuse took place is the Bryn Estyn home in Wrexham.

Operation Pallial was announced by Home Secretary Theresa May following a controversial BBC Newsnight report last year into the alleged child abuse.