HUNDREDS of children have fallen victim to sexual exploitation in Manchester amid fears that mistakes made in Rotherham are being repeated.

Police figures show that 105 crimes linked to sexual exploitation, involving 402 victims and 242 suspects, were reported across Greater Manchester in the 10 months to January this year.

Police received 2,286 pieces of information relating to child sexual exploitation in that time.

Campaigners told The Sunday Times last week that they feared the true figure may be far higher and could exceed the 1,400 victims identified by Alexis Jay in her report on child sexual exploitation (CSE) in Rotherham over a 16-year period. They also voiced concern that, as in Rotherham, groups of Pakistani men had been “grooming” children.

A senior teacher turned