27th Apr 2026

Were you a victim of Derek Feast the disgraced former Scout Leader and Police Officer?

In the 70’s and 80’s Derek Feast was a Scout Leader and local police officer.  Despite his positions of authority Feast was also a paedophile who targeted young boys in Hertfordshire and latterly in Norfolk.

Feast preyed on three of his victims when he volunteered with the Scouts in Hertfordshire, where he also worked as a police officer during the 1970s and early 1980s, and a fourth victim when he worked in a newsagent’s shop in Norfolk in 1991.

Feast used his role as a Scout Leader to gain access to young Scouts and then relied upon his position as a police officer to ingratiate himself with their families to ensure his reputation remained intact. 

Four of Feast’s victims have recently come forward, including three former scouts who allege that Feast engaged in mock wrestling and would invite them to watch porn and consume alcohol. 

One victim, who was aged 12 or 13 at the time, recalled being sexually assaulted on Scout trips, at Scout meetings and at Feast’s home address in Stevenage. A second victim was aged 14 when he was sexually assaulted; and a third victim was first sexually assaulted aged 15 on a trip and the abuse continued for several years.  A fourth victim was 14 when Feast assaulted him in Norfolk, when Feast was aged 46. He reported the incident to police shortly afterwards and Feast was arrested, but released with no further action in July 1991.

In 2023 one of Feast’s victims came forward to report his abuse.  Feast was traced to the Isle of Mull where he was living a solitary life as an 81 year old man.  He was subsequently interviewed by Hertfordshire investigators in July 2024.

Initially Feast denied having any sexual contact with three of the boys and claimed he had been in a consensual sexual relationship with one victim. 

A trial was held at St Alban’s Crown Court and on 17 February 2026 he was convicted of 17 counts of indecent assault and gross indecency on four victims.  Feast was remanded in custody awaiting sentencing on 22 April 2026.  Feast was imprisoned for 12 years and must serve half his sentence before being considered for release on licence. He was also placed on the Sex Offenders Register for life.

Detective Constable Beverley Thomson said: 

“Firstly, I would like to commend all four victims for their courage during the investigation and their incredible bravery in the face of a trial.

“Derek Feast denied any wrongdoing, but his evil acts have had lasting effects on his victims, but I do hope that seeing him sentenced will go some way in helping them to move on from his abhorrent crime.

“We know it can be incredibly challenging to come forward to report incidents of sexual assault. We take reports of sexual offences very seriously and we will do everything we can to ensure that victims feel like their voices are heard and that offenders are brought to justice.”

Detective Inspector Ben Smith added: 

“I would like to thank the team for their tireless work to bring Feast to justice. This case demonstrates that however long ago a crime was committed – even more than 40 years later – we will track you down and get justice for victims. The fact that he was a Scout leader and, shockingly, a police officer at the time, makes his offending even more despicable and I hope any victim feels confident that they can report offences however long ago they were committed, and we will take them seriously and work tirelessly to bring them justice.”

If you or anyone you know has been the victim of sexual abuse, you may be entitled to compensation. Robsonshaw solicitors are already dealing with claims in relation to Derek Feast and have over 25 years experience of successfully suing the Scouts in this specialist area of litigation.

Please contact either Samantha Robson or Robert Shaw anytime on 01392 345333, or email [email protected] or [email protected] for a free confidential and no obligation discussion about your options. 

Category: Scouts