EAST Lancashire’s bid to tackle child sexual exploitation has been held up as a ‘beacon of best practice’ for the rest of the country.

The area was one of a few in the UK deemed to have an effective strategy on the crime in a report from the Child Exploitation and Online Protection (CEOP) body, published today.

Vulnerable children being exploited by ‘on street grooming’ was thrust into the spotlight following Blackburn MP Jack Straw’s comments about it being a particular problem among some sections of ethnic communities.

Today’s report was generally critical of authorities involved in safeguarding children, such as police and councils, for not having a ‘proactive approach’.

However, Lancashire’s approach, which includes the award-winning Engage and Freedom teams operating in Blackburn and Burnley, was praised.

The report said: “Lancashire Constabulary has taken a robust and proactive stance on child sexual exploitation which serves as an outstanding example for all police forces in the UK, demonstrating an innovative approach to gathering intelligence relating to child sexual exploitation and managing risks posed to vulnerable children and young people at a local level.”

Over the past six years, the Constabulary has worked with statutory and voluntary agencies to tackle the issue.

Education packages have been delivered in schools, highlighting dangers, warning signs and raising awareness amongst teenagers. Similar presentations have been delivered to parents, with referrals as a direct result.

Lancashire Constabulary’s head of public protection, Superintendent Ian Critchley, said: “We are not complacent and will continue to seek to develop our service to the public in this crucial area.

“We will continue to tackle this problem, with a priority being to protect and safeguard children from being exploited and abused.”

In January, Jack Straw’s claims that some Asian sex-groomers see white girls as ‘easy meat’ sparked a furious local and national debate.

Mohammed Shafiq, chief executive of the Ramadhan Foundation, said the report states only 20 per cent of people committing the crimes are Asian.

He said: “The Asian community have offered their revulsion at these crimes many times and we do so again today.”