Dozens of children have been forced into contact with fathers accused of abuse, a new study has found.

All the fathers in the England-wide study, carried out by the University of Manchester, had responded in court to abuse allegations with the parental alienation concept – in which they claimed the mothers had turned the child against them without good reason.

In some cases, the fathers were convicted pedophiles.

The parental alienation concept has been cited in the deaths of women after family courts allowed fathers accused of abuse to apply for contact.

The BBC investigation found five mothers died – some taking their own lives and one having a heart attack.