BLACKBURN with Darwen councillors have been warned they have primary responsibility for ensuring that there is no repeat of the Rotherham or Rochdale gang-grooming scandals in the borough.

A report by children’s services director Linda Clegg makes clear elected politicians must be vigilant to make certain children in care and other vulnerable young people are protected from organised sexual abuse.

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In March 2008, following the Lancashire Telegraph’s ‘Keep Them Safe’ campaign, the borough set up the Engage team with Lancashire Police to tackle child sexual exploitation and a growing threat of girls being groomed by gangs of often Asian older men.

This ground-breaking initiative has been replicated nationwide and one of its key figures, Gladys Rhodes-White, has advised Rochdale council since a gang-grooming scandal was exposed when nine men were convicted of sex trafficking and other offences in 2012.

In August an independent inquiry strongly criticised police, council officials and senior councillors for allowing 1,400 children in Rotherham to be abused by gangs of men, mainly of Pakistani origin, between 1997 and 2013.

Ms Clegg’s report, which was debated by the Blackburn with Darwen standards committee last night, says of the Rotherham report: “It was the failings of senior managers and politicians to adequately address the problem, unwilling to risk the perceived challenges to community cohesion in the area that were criticised by the inquiry.

“As a result, it is vital that all elected members are aware of their responsibilities.”

Senior Labour councillor and committee member Phil Riley said: “Blackburn with Darwen was groundbreaking in setting up Engage.

“This report makes clear it is councillors who are primarily responsible for overseeing child protection measures and ensuring they are adequate.”