Shropshire Star

Telford Conservative leader supports review on town's child sex abuse

The leader of the Conservative group in Telford has written to the Home Secretary to support calls for an independent review into child sexual exploitation in the town.

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It comes after Telford & Wrekin Council leader Shaun Davies wrote a joint letter to Amber Rudd, signed by the bosses of agencies such as Telford & Wrekin Clinical Commissioning Group, police and crime commissioner John Campion and some opposition councillors including the Lib Dems, outlining the efforts being made to tackle the issue.

Now Councillor Andrew Eade, leader of the opposition Tory group, has written his own letter to the Home Secretary saying he believes there is a "compelling and urgent case" for an "immediate and independent review" into child sexual exploitation in Telford and Wrekin.

The letter states: "You may also notice that Conservative councillors declined the opportunity to co-sign Telford & Wrekin's letter as we do not fully share the confidence expressed by the co-signatories.

"We note that the Government's own independent inquiry, chaired by Professor Jay, is due to include child sexual exploitation issues at Telford as her inquiry unfolds.

"However, we also note that this planned inquiry has again run into some difficulty and, despite a planned start around spring next year, it is likely that a substantial delay will occur."

The opposition Conservative group has previously made calls for a review similar to that at Rotherham where systematic abuse was uncovered. It comes after a recent Ofsted report found that the borough's children's services require improvement.

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