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Police are probing almost 200 cases of sexual exploitation in West Yorkshire amid fears of 'another Rochdale'.

Officers in West Yorkshire Police’s Bradford District have 179 crimes where child sexual offences are a factor on their desks.

The area takes in the small mill town of Keighley – described as the nation’s ‘capital’ of child grooming.

The crimes involve 165 suspects and more than 100 victims.

Last year 12 men were jailed for more than 140 years between them for their part in the abuse of a single victim in Keighley.

The girl was repeatedly raped by the gang in encounters arranged by a violent drug dealer over 13 months between 2011 and 2012, when she was 13.

(Image: Manchester Evening News)

On one occasion, the girl was gang-raped by five of the men who “lined her up” and took it turns to abuse her.

A damning report into the abuse found that police and social services let down the victim – just like in Rochdale.

The abuse of youngsters in Lancashire town – ignored for years by cops and council chiefs - was turned into the harrowing BBC drama Three Girls starring Maxine Peake.

Keighley’s Tory MP Kris Hopkins told local newspaper the Telegraph and Argus after the court case that the town was "top of the list" for organised groups of Asian men grooming young white girls.

He said: “I am very well aware that there are numerous white paedophiles out there and they should be dealt with just as harshly.

"But the sick model of organised groups of Asian men grooming young white girls to be sexually abused remains a blight at the heart of many communities across this country.

“And sadly, Keighley is at the top of the list.”

(Image: Evening Gazette)

This week police confirmed they were probing dozens more cases.

Michael Jameson, strategic director of Children’s Services at Bradford Council, promised: “Child sexual exploitation is a horrendous crime and we work closely with the Police and other partner organisations to investigate and bring the perpetrators to justice.

“Victims are now more confident about coming forward to report abuse and seek help.

"The Child Sexual Exploitation Hub’s specialist team provides them with supportive environment and enables positive action.

“Anyone who suspects CSE has taken or is taking place can report it at any time by contacting the police.”

A serious case review into the abuse of the girl in Keighley published after the fiends were caged found that multiple opportunities were missed by the authorities to protect her.

The police and social services both apologised after an independent review found the victim could have been protected sooner and highlighted a host of failings.

Detective Superintendent Nick Wallen, of West Yorkshire Police, said it is important they apologise to the girl.

He said: “It’s very clear that West Yorkshire Police failed this girl on a number of levels.

“It’s certainly clear there were opportunities to safeguard her that were missed “There were investigative opportunities to get to grips fairly quickly with the individuals that were perpetrating this sexual abuse upon her that were missed and there were opportunities particularly when she went missing to have made the connection between her going missing and the exploitation she was clearly suffering at that time.

“As a senior officer at West Yorkshire Police, I personally apologise to her as well.”

He said he hoped the subsequent investigation, which saw the 12 men jailed, was of “some comfort to her” and stressed that child abuse was now one of the police’s top priorities.