Up to 720 children deemed at risk of sexual exploitation in West Midlands

The scale of the problem faced by child safeguarding agencies in the region has been revealed in the publication of two reports compiled by councils, the NHS and the police.

The data showed 372 suspected offenders have been identified as potentially preying on boys and girls in Birmingham, Coventry and the Black Country.

A separate police report into the risks of child sexual exploitation (CSE) in Birmingham identified more than 90 specific places where youngsters were likely to be targeted, including 17 children's homes and 14 hotels. Supermarkets, parks, youngsters' own homes and even one case of a special school being targeted were also flagged up by the West Midlands Police report, first published in March 2015 but now made public.

Councils and police have said they need to work more closely together 'against those intent on abusing and exploiting children and young people by disrupting and prosecuting perpetrators'.

Last year, Midlands local authorities began working together on tackling CSE and came up with a framework aimed at improving information-sharing and best practice.

A new revised version has now been published 12 months on. Stephen Rimmer, regional strategic lead for preventing violence against vulnerable people, said: "I am clear this framework has been seriously road-tested operationally over the last 12 months and reflects major learning nationally and locally over that period.

"There is strong commitment from the agencies to work together to protect our children and to hold the abusers to account – but we need to work better with young people, parents and communities."

Assistant Chief Constable Carl Foulkes said West Midlands Police's report gave 'real insight' into the problem of CSE across the region. He added: "CSE affects all communities and remains a top priority for us – nothing is more important in policing than protecting vulnerable people."