12 Middlesbrough children currently at risk of grooming for sexual exploitation

There are 12 young people currently classified as being at high risk of sexual exploitation in Middlesbrough, it has been revealed.

The issue of children being groomed for exploitation is seen as a “national threat on the scale of terrorism”.

In the past year Middlesbrough Council has worked with 76 boys and girls under 18 identified as high risk of child sexual exploitation (CSE).

The figures were revealed by Neil Pocklington, assistant director of safeguarding and children’s care for the local authority, at a meeting of the council’s community safety and leisure scrutiny panel today to get an update on the issue of CSE in the town.

Mark Braithwaite, independent chairman of Middlesbrough’s Local Safeguarding Children’s Board and former head of crime at Cleveland Police, who was also present at the meeting, said: “It’s a national threat on the scale of terrorism.

“These areas that say they don’t have an issue with CSE are not looking hard enough.

“It’s more important that once we identify it we do something about it.”

Mr Pocklington updated the panel - chaired by Cllr Frances McIntyre - on what measures had been made to tackle the issue.

One of the measures taken is to look at increasing the Operation Stay Safe programme across Middlesbrough, which is funded by the Youth Crime Action Plan.

Operation Stay Safe carries out 20 late-night patrols between 10pm and 4am of town streets a year checking on young people.

Cllr Brian Hubbard raised the importance of increasing the patrols but Mr Pocklington said that it was due to staffing that it had not yet been increased.

Following recommendation by the panel, a letter has been written to the DVSA to amend guidance and ensure all minibus drivers have undertaken a DBS check (formerly CSA) and that any drivers involved with the exploitation of children would have their licence suspended.

He said a response has not been received back as yet.

Cllr McIntyre said the issue was “ongoing” and “wouldn’t be going anywhere anytime soon” and said it would be an issue revisited by the scrutiny panel after the election. This was the last meeting of the panel before the May elections.

In Stockton, 61 young people have been identified as at risk of being groomed for sex exploitation, according to a report.

The Task and Finish Review of Child Sexual Exploitation found that in Stockton during 2013/14 of those 61, 46 were female and 15 male.

The Department for Education defines sexual exploitation of children as involving exploitative situations where young people receive things like food, accommodation, drugs, alcohol, cigarettes, affection, gifts, or money for sexual activities.