Gang request to focus on Oldham, Bradford and London

Oldham, Bradford and Keighley and London are the first areas to be investigated in a national independent inquiry into gangs.

The statutory independent inquiry, chaired by Baroness Anne Longfield CBE, will require them to explain what they did or did not do to protect children from sexual abuse, the organization said.

The review will examine whether changes have been made in places where there have been previous reviews, such as Oxford and Rotherham.

Keighley MP Robbie Moore, who called on the government to include Bradford in the inquiry, said it was “a huge turning point”.

In a letter to stakeholders, inquiry organizers said the first hearing would focus on government departments, the police, the Crown Prosecution Service, councils and the NHS.

Although 800 recommendations were identified by the inquiry, it said there was “significant inconsistency” in how these recommendations could be implemented.

“The experiences of victims and survivors in those areas will be central to these investigations,” the statement said.

Baroness Longfield said she hoped the inquiry would “never need any more questions about show gangs”.

“These hearings will help us to find out what national institutions and services should be doing to implement these findings and protect children from violence and abuse – and what progress, if any, has been made in the areas investigated,” she said.

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