The full extent of how agencies ignored a stark warning 12 years ago about child sex abuse in Rotherham was laid bare yesterday.

Two reports – which were 'widely distributed to middle and senior managers' – detailed the 'significant' sexual exploitation problem in South Yorkshire by predominantly Asian men on white girls.

Written by researcher Dr Angie Heal in 2003 and 2006, the papers also highlighted police failures to tackle the abusers and listed a raft of recommendations.

Until now the reports have been kept secret, but were published yesterday after a freedom of information request.

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Abuser: Umar Razaq (pictured), whose victim has accused Rotherham council of 'covering up' the scandal

Police and council officials were told of child sex abuse in Rotherham in 2003 but failed to act, it has emerged

In them, police chiefs were even given a list of names of the suspected main perpetrators. But instead of taking action and following Dr Heal's advice to 'raise awareness' of the horrific underage abuse, the issue was swept under the carpet.

Dr Heal, who was employed by South Yorkshire Police to investigate drugs crime, also gave 'anecdotal' accounts in the reports suggesting corrupt behaviour by 'professionals'. This included a 'local councillor involved with a young woman' and a uniformed officer having sex with a 'young woman' in a red light district.

The 2003 report warned how some victims were subject to 'violence, rape, gang rape and kidnap' and many of the men were involved in 'drug dealing.'

A girl of 14 missing for three weeks was found drugged under a hotel bed. Another was kidnapped and repeatedly raped but her father was too frightened to tell police.

A girl of 12 was forced to watch her 14-year-old sister have sex with men in a hotel room. And another girl was doused in petrol as a threat to ensure she remained silent.

Former council leader Roger Stone (left) and Shaun Wright (right), who became Police and Crime Commissioner for South Yorkshire after working for the council, both resigned over the scandal

Dr Heal described sexual exploitation as a 'hidden' problem. She also said that in neighbouring Sheffield, specialist officers able to deal with the issue were 'few and far between'.

CHILD SEX GANG PROBLEMS EXTENDED TO SHEFFIELD The newly released reports show the issue of child grooming extended beyond Rotherham into neighbouring Sheffield. A 2006 report found Sheffield had an 'established on-street prostitution scene and a very entrenched sexual exploitation problem'. It also recorded reports of 'sexual and physical violence perpetrated against teenage schoolgirls' in the city. The report said some of the main perpetrators appeared to be pimps and drug dealers, including an Asian family in Rotherham and members of the Afro-Caribbean community in Sheffield. The report's author Dr Angie Heal said there were differences between what was going on in Sheffield and Rotherham, such as the ethnic background of offenders. But the lack of police response was similar in both places, she said. Advertisement

The report said most victims were aged 13 to 16 and tended to be 'blonde, slim and very attractive.'

'Ethnicity is becoming an increasing issue,' she said. In Rotherham the offenders were mainly Asian, she said. Her second report three years later stressed the problem in Rotherham remained very serious.The main gangs associated with organised sexual exploitation are Asian,' the report concluded, adding: 'This is not a new problem.'

Dr Heal also expressed concerns the race issue was leading to criminals escaping justice. She also said a more 'empathetic' attitude was needed towards the girls.

Despite all this evidence, police and council chiefs did little to address the escalating abuse issue.

Last year Professor Alexis Jay revealed how 1,400 children in Rotherham were abused by gangs of men, mainly of Pakistani origin, between 1997 and 2013. Her inquiry revealed how the abuse continued unchecked despite warnings given in these two reports and a Home Office report from 2002.

One victim, Lizzie, who was just 12 when she was first groomed in 2008, later told how she was stalked by her abuser Umar Razaq after he served less than a year in jail.

Rev Dr Alan Billings, now South Yorkshire crime commissioner, said police did not know what grooming was

She says she told police and Rotherham council but they 'weren't bothered', adding: 'Some of those councillors were involved in covering it up.'

Prof Jay said Dr Heal's reports were 'widely distributed to middle and senior managers in all key agencies.'

Dr Heal said yesterday: 'I can't understand why anyone told about the multiple rape of children wouldn't respond effectively to that. A senior officer said to me at one point, it was awful but burglary and car crime were policing priorities set by the Government.

'I am frustrated nothing was done with the information. I just feel so upset and very, very angry. The abuse could have been stopped.'

A total of 44 South Yorkshire police officers are under investigation by the Independent Police Complaints Commission.

The force said yesterday it has 'admitted to past failings in the way it handled child sexual exploitation,' but 'significant progress' has been made.