Police probe at least 54 more evil child sex grooming gangs
Officers are preparing to bust the biggest paedophile network ever seen in the country, with police set to swoop within days

At least 54 evil child grooming gangs are being investigated by police.
It comes as officers in the North of England are preparing to bust the biggest paedophile network ever seen in the country, with police set to swoop within days.
Our disturbing figures can be revealed after reporters contacted every force across England and Wales, but the true number is likely to be much higher as many failed, or refused, to reply.
Child exploitation came into focus this week when seven paedophiles were convicted of sexually torturing girls as young as 11 in Oxford.
Thames Valley Police missed several opportunities to rescue the girls from the abuse over six years.
The same force has now revealed it is investigating 14 more networks – with some gangs even using women to help groom the youngsters.
Chief constable Sara Thornton said: “We are looking at double figures for the number of suspects.”
She went on: “I think the vast majority are men but there are a couple of women who might have been facilitating exploitation.”
As a result of our inquiries, police chiefs admitted to at least 54 investigations.
Out of 43 forces in England and Wales, 31 responded to our request for information.

Seventeen said they had ongoing probes, including Merseyside, which would only say it was investigating a “number” of grooming rings.
Three – Staffordshire, Norfolk and Humberside – refused to tell us how many investigations they had, and 12 did not get back to us.
At 14, Thames Valley has the largest number of probes, followed by six in Lancashire – where one of the worst paedophile gangs was caught in Rochdale last year.
Nottinghamshire and Greater Manchester said they were looking into five alleged sex cells each.
Steve Heywood, chief constable at Greater Manchester, admitted child exploitation was now the force’s “number one priority”.
The Met Police in London said its officers were probing four gangs.
Three probes are active in South Yorkshire, Northants and Suffolk.
There are two each in Surrey, Northumbria and West Yorkshire. South Wales, Kent, West Mercia, Devon and Cornwall and Cambridgeshire each have one investigation.
Staffordshire, Humberside and Norfolk would not say how many investigations they had.
West Midlands, Sussex, Wiltshire, North Yorkshire, Leicestershire, Hampshire, Avon and Somerset, Gloucestershire, Cheshire, Cleveland, Dorset and Dyfed Powys did not reply
There are no investigations in Derbyshire, Warwickshire, North Wales, Hertfordshire, Gwent, Cumbria, Durham, Gloucestershire, Lincolnshire, Bedfordshire, Essex.
The figures come as 10 men are preparing to stand trial this week accused of exploiting a girl over a four-year period in High Wycombe, Bucks.
All deny the charges.
Last month we revealed six men were held in Peterborough, Cambs, in a new case with potentially the biggest number of victims by one gang.
It is one in a worrying string of already known child sex cases.
Earlier this year seven men were charged in Newham, East London, for allegedly raping a vulnerable girl who was under 16.
And five men were charged with rape in Stockport, Greater Manchester, last year after a probe showed they had 39 potential victims.
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Rush-hour horror: Police and paramedics at the scene in Hagley Road, Birmingham, where a schoolgirl was stabbed to death on a bus this morning
Investigation underway: Police surround the bus, where the girl was reportedly attacked by a male friend
Tragedy: West Midlands Police said they have identified the victim’s family and are in the process of breaking the sad news
Tragedy: West Midlands Police said they have identified the victim’s family and are in the process of breaking the sad news
Scouring the scene: A forensics officer gathers clues on board the 9 National Express West Midlands bus
Collecting evidence: A police officer removes an item from the scene of the fatal stabbing
Building a case: Officers and paramedics rushed to the scene after a member of the public dialled 999 claiming to have witnessed the stabbing
Probe: Forensics experts load evidence into a van as a manhunt got underway to find the killer
Location: The girl was attacked as the bus pulled into a stop on the Hagley Road near the Five Ways roundabout leading out of the city towards Stourbridge, West Midlands
Taking the lead: Detective Superintendent Richard Baker updates the media about the investigation
Search operation: A huge manhunt has now been launched after the killer fled the scene
Gathering clues: The Hagley Road, which is a main commuter route into the city, remains closed and is likely to remain so for the rest of today
In vain: Emergency services were dispatched immediately, but nothing could be done to save the victim
Scene: The attack is believed to have happened during rush hour at 7.37am in Birmingham
Appeal: Witnesses to the attack are asked to call police on 101 or Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111













The investigation also involved the US Department of Homeland Security