CHESHIRE’S Police and Crime Commissioner has met with county chiefs to assess best practice in preventing the types of ‘appalling’ child sexual exploitation experienced in Rotherham.

PCC John Dwyer held a summit on Monday, October 6 with the chief constable, council leaders and leaders from the health service to discuss best practice to identify and tackle child sexual exploitation in the county.

“I called this meeting after hearing the appalling details surrounding the extent of child sexual exploitation in Rotherham,” said Mr Dwyer.

“I want to ensure that here in Cheshire we continue to tackle this problem effectively, with all agencies working together, keeping our communities at the heart of everything we do.

“Nobody wants a repeat of Rotherham to happen in Cheshire. We have all signed up to the Statement of Intent reinforcing the message that we all take child sexual exploitation seriously, and want to provide the best possible service for our communities.

“Each leader has undertaken a review of their processes in this area, and the outcomes have been discussed today, ensuring that each agency knows their role in tackling this horrendous crime and work together to prevent it.”

The summit follows the publication of Rotherham Borough Council’s report in August, which found at least 1,400 children were subjected to sexual exploitation in Rotherham between 1997 and 2013.

The report found that children as young as 11 had been beaten, raped, abducted and trafficked to other regions of the UK during the six-year period.