Telford youth clubs plan targets sex abuse

It is one of a number of recommendations in an independent inquiry on child sexual exploitation following the conviction of seven members of an Asian sex ring which preyed on young white girls in the town.

The report says there is "ongoing learning" in how best to deal with the problem - and comes as a shocking report found 1,400 youngsters in Rotherham had been sexually abused in a 16-year period.

The independent inquiry was commissioned by Telford and Wrekin Local Safeguarding Children's Board and its findings have recently been made public.

The report says: "Due to the known impact and pressure Operation Chalice has brought to both the families and the communities (of the perpetrators) it is not appropriate at this time to progress directly with the people concerned.

"However, support and preventative services are being provided to the community by Telford & Wrekin Council's cohesion services and West Mercia Police as there has been a level of learning during this period.

"For example, the need to set up youth clubs in targeted areas to provide the young males with alternative perspectives and role models in relation to attitudes to women and understanding of difference within cultures."

Seven men were jailed in 2013 to bring to an end the three-year police investigation into child sex exploitation in Telford which was dubbed Operation Chalice.

Judges heard distressing evidence from four young women, who were aged 13 to 16 when they were abused during a two-year period between 2007 and 2009.

The leading players in the abuse were brothers Ahdel and Mubarek Ali, of Regent Street, Wellington, who received long jail sentences after an eight-week trial.

Ahdel Ali, 25, known as Eddie, was given a 26-year extended sentence – 18 years' immediate custody with an additional eight-year period on licence after release.

His 29-year-old brother, Mubarek Ali, known as Max, was given 22 years, 14 years' immediate custody and eight years on licence.

Also convicted were Mohammed Ali Sultan, 26, of Victoria Avenue in Wellington, Tanveer Ahmed, 40, of Urban Gardens in Wellington, Mohammed Islam Choudhrey, 53, of Solway Drive in Sutton Hill, Mahroof Khan, 35, of Caradoc Flats in Kingshaye Road in Wellington, and Mohammed Younis, 60, of Kingsland in Arleston.

Meanwhile, it was revealed today that police officers in Shropshire are receiving special training to help them spot the early warning signs of child sexual exploitation, .

Superintendent Stephen Cullen, of West Mercia Police, said officers remained committed to tackling the issue in the strongest manner possible and protecting vulnerable young people in the county.

Superintendent Cullen said: "Our awareness and understanding of child sexual exploitation has increased drastically in recent years and a significant amount of work is currently being undertaken to develop this further.

"Resources have been invested in training officers to help them to spot early warning signs about behaviour that could relate to this type of criminality and in funding major investigations such as Operation Chalice, which concluded in 2013 and resulted in the conviction of a number of dangerous sex offenders.

"We remain committed to tackling child sexual exploitation with a consistently strong approach in order to protect vulnerable young people.

"A robust activity plan is in place to ensure that the police, along with local safeguarding boards and our partner agencies, are proactive in identifying and supporting victims and those who may be at risk and in bringing offenders to justice."

Telford & Wrekin Council spokesman Russell Griffin said the multi-agency operation to tackle the problem in Telford had been held up nationally as an example of good practice. From the time when concerns began to emerge about the crimes which eventually resulted in the court cases relating to Operation Chalice, there has been a process of ongoing learning to ensure our approach to child sexual exploitation is robust," he said.