Telford scandal: Over 1,000 girls abused and raped by Asian gangs while police looked the other way

More than a thousand girls were sexually abused by gangs of Asian men in Telford while police dropped cases like a “hot potato” for fear of inflaming racial tensions, a damning report has found.

For at least 30 years, abusers in the Shropshire town “thrived” as their appalling crimes went unchecked by the authorities, who were more concerned about political correctness.

An investigation - commissioned in 2018 - accused those whose job it was to protect children of repeatedly “turning a blind eye” and “ignoring obvious signs of child sexual exploitation”.

The results of the three-year inquiry laid bare how vulnerable children were targeted by men - often local taxi drivers - who bought them alcohol and cigarettes before convincing them they were in loving relationships.

After “brainwashing them”, they then abused and raped them, issuing death threats if they threatened to expose the abuse.

Witnesses told an inquiry how West Mercia Police had appeared “frightened to question or challenge because they didn’t want to have the finger pointed at them, saying they were being racist”.

In its findings, the report said the force’s decisions were impacted by “fear of complaint” or “because of concern about the impact… on racial tensions”.