A fear of being called racist is stopping authorities from dealing with child abuse and sexual exploitation, a Labour frontbencher has claimed.

Sarah Champion, the shadow women and equalities minister, said that “people are more afraid to be called a racist than they are afraid to be wrong about calling out child abuse”.

Her comments came after 18 people were convicted of or admitted offences in a series of trials related to child sexual exploitation in Newcastle.

Newcastle joins a growing list of English towns and cities where sex rings have been exposed, including in Rotherham and Rochdale.