VICTIMS of abuse at the hands of Celtic Boys Club kitman Jim McCafferty have begun legal action against the club.

Thomsons Solicitors confirmed it is handling 10-15 cases involving the former employee and 50 cases overall of abuse involving football.

Celtic is said to be facing a multi-million pound compensation claim from sex abuse victims after a fourth employee linked to the club was revealed to have abused young players.

Kitman Jim McCafferty, 73, admitted abusing ten teenage boys over a period of 24 years.

His jail sentence is the third to be handed down after Celtic Boys Club founder Jim Torbett, 71, and coach Frank Cairney, 83, were jailed.

Read more: Celtic Boys Club founder guilty of child sex abuse 

The club's ex-chairman Gerald King, 66, was also found guilty of abusing four boys and a girl while he was employed as a primary teacher.

Patrick McGuire, a partner with Thompsons Solicitors, said: "The survivors have instructed us to pursue financial justice on their behalf and that process has begun.

"Claims have been intimated and we’ve had limited correspondence between us and Celtic’s solitictors.

"They’re at a fairly early stage because of the attitude, no doubt from advice they’ve been given by their solicitors.

"The line has been peddled that Celtic Boys Club is entirely separate from Celtic."

The Evening Times approached Celtic Football Club for comment.

"It’s not morally correct that’s why we’ve called upon Celtic directly, to the board, to the Chief Executive and those associated with the club.

Read more: Ex-Celtic youth coach admits sex abuse against young boys 

"We’ve told them ‘push the lawyers to the side and stop hiding behind the club and come to discuss the matters with us directly."

Lawyers are calling on Celtic to follow the lead of Manchester City who agreed a compensation scheme for victims of abuse.

Mr McGuire said: "If they don’t the survivors will not wait much longer. It will be weeks before court papers are served on CFC.

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"The victims have physical loss, loss of earnings, loss of pensions rights. You can imagine when it comes to some formerly very promising footballers who’s careers were stolen from them – we could be looking at significant sums of money."