TWO brothers were abused by Norfolk MBE Henry Day without ever knowing about one another's ordeals, Norwich Crown Court heard yesterday.The victims, who are both now adults but cannot be named for legal reasons, lived with the secret for decades before one finally broke down last year and told his parents what happened.

TWO brothers were abused by Norfolk MBE Henry Day without ever knowing about one another's ordeals, Norwich Crown Court heard yesterday.

The victims, who are both now adults but cannot be named for legal reasons, lived with the secret for decades before one finally broke down last year and told his parents what happened. It was only when he spoke out that his brother felt able to come forward.

The older son claims to have been touched sexually three times as a boy before deciding to leave the Young Citizens Guild, run by Day, and escape the abuse.

The younger remained in the guild and alleges that he was repeatedly abused over several years, including one occasion on which Day had sex with him against his will.

The men's parents told jurors how the younger son had anger problems and had never been able to form lasting relationships.

The father said: “He has had a lot of problems. We always thought it was because of an injury he suffered as a child but now you wonder if it could be because of what happened.”

Henry Day, known as Harry, 70, of Wood View, North Walsham, is accused of the “systematic sexual abuse” of eight boys at the camp he ran at Hemsby near Yarmouth.

Describing how the abuse finally came to light, the father added: “He was in a terrible state. He said something had happened at Hemsby - that he had been abused. But to this day he has never spoken to me about exactly what happened.

“Afterwards I rang his brother to ask what he knew and he just broke down and cried before hanging up. His girlfriend rang me back and told me he had been abused as well.”

Earlier his mother had described how she found out: “He was really upset and crying. He just said to me 'Harry Day'. It started to come to me what had happened.”

She added: “At the time that they went to the guild they never said anything about how they were unhappy or expressed any reluctance to go. When my older son left I just thought it was his age and it was a natural progression.”

Day set up the Young Citizens Guild in 1957 with the aim of helping young people become responsible members of society.

He was made an MBE for services to young people.

It is alleged that he would invite boys to stay in his private caravan as a reward for their exceptional performance. It is there that much of the abuse is said to have taken place.

He denies 22 offences including indecent assault, indecent assault against under-16s, incitement to indecent assault and carrying out a sexual act. There are eight alleged victims and the charges date over a period from 1973 to 1995.

He also denies perverting the course of justice after allegedly contacting a witness in the case in an attempt to persuade them to support his story.

The case continues.