Durham’s failure to contact abuse victims or to review safeguarding procedures even after a former coach was convicted on multiple occasions of child sex offences is “a matter of concern”, a review has found.

The county have issued an apology following the publication of an independent review into offending by Michael Strange, 65, who as well as coaching local clubs in the north-east served as a junior coach and scouted for Durham’s talent pathway in the Gateshead area from the mid-1990s until the early part of the next decade.

Strange has previously been convicted of 34 separate offences of indecent assault, rape and gross indecency against 10 victims between 1993 and 2004. Northumbria Police officers who contributed to the independent review published on Tuesday believe the true extent of Strange’s abuse runs into “hundreds” of instances.

The review concluded that while no one knew he was sexually abusing boys at the time, there was a failure by Strange’s peers at his clubs and Durham to “join the dots” or to challenge inappropriate behaviour, such as the well-known fact that he possessed and shared pornographic material with young players.

There was also criticism of the “retrospective lack of recognition” from Durham when his offending became widely known through media reporting.

“Even when many details of the abuse perpetrated by MS (Strange) were in the public domain, they still did not recognise the opportunity to learn from what had happened, nor their responsibilities with regard to the victims and their potential need for support,” the review stated.

“No evidence was found that safeguarding policies and procedures had been the subject of internal review, nor any consideration being given to reach out to the victims. It is surprising that the case of MS was not the catalyst for an internal review of policies and procedures by the clubs and the county.

“As it stands, more than 12 years since the initial conviction of MS, the fact that neither club nor the county board have embraced the opportunity to learn from the case, and to ensure that the needs of the victims are being addressed, is a matter of concern.”

Durham said in a statement: “Our immediate thoughts are with the victims and those affected by the horrific conduct of Michael Strange. We apologise that this occurred within our sport and it’s something that everyone has been and continues to work hard to prevent ever happening again.”

The review found evidence Strange had “acted abusively” towards young players while coaching Durham junior sides at festivals in other parts of the country.

His connection to Durham, while acknowledged in the review to have been overplayed by Strange, was used as his “ace in the pack” to offend, because it enabled him to impress young players and their parents.

The review found the decision to permanently disqualify Strange from any and all cricket activity in April 2006, even after a criminal complaint was withdrawn, was “sound and prudent”.

However, it highlighted a failure to effectively communicate that disqualification adequately which enabled Strange to still attend matches at his local club. A county child welfare officer, while umpiring a match, challenged Strange after spotting him “walking around the field and then entering the clubhouse before coming out with a pint of beer”.

None of the offences Strange was subsequently convicted of occurred in the period after his disqualification.

The review made a series of recommendations, including the formulation of a national policy “to clarify how, when and in what circumstances, contact should be sought by the ECB and the Cricket Regulator with an alleged victim of abuse in a cricketing context, without compromising the primacy of any criminal investigation”.

It also recommended that clubs should review their safeguarding policies following the conviction of any person for a safeguarding related crime where that person was a former member, volunteer or other participant of that club.

ECB chief executive Richard Gould said: “Everyone should be able to take part in cricket safely, and our first thoughts today are with the people who were harmed by Michael Strange. We are sorry this happened to you within our sport.

“It is more than 20 years since Strange was suspended from cricket and while the review recognises that safeguarding understanding, policies and practices have developed significantly since then – within cricket and across society more widely – we will never be complacent. This review highlights the importance of everyone being able to recognise concerning behaviour, and to act upon it.

“We are constantly developing and strengthening our safeguarding work as well as the education we deliver across the game, and the review’s findings and recommendations will inform our continuing work. By learning from this appalling case, we can keep people safer today.”