Forty-four people have been arrested as part of an investigation into historical child sexual abuse allegations in West Yorkshire.

Police said 36 men and three women from addresses across Kirklees, Bradford and Leeds had been taken into custody over the past fortnight, with five other males detained at the end of last year.

All of them have been interviewed following allegations made by four women that sexual abuse was committed against them when they were children, mainly in the Dewsbury and Batley areas of Kirklees between 1995 and 2002.

Detective Inspector Seth Robinson, leading the investigation, said: "Safeguarding and protecting children remains the top priority for West Yorkshire Police.

"We hope that these recent arrests reassure our local communities that we are wholly committed to tackling child sexual exploitation in Kirklees, both current and non-recent.


"Child sexual abuse and exploitation is an abhorrent and heinous crime and one which affects some of the most vulnerable people in our society.

"West Yorkshire Police has specialist safeguarding units across each of the five districts, which include police officers and detectives dedicated to dealing with both current and non-recent child abuse and child sexual exploitation.

"We would urge anyone who has been a victim of sexual abuse, whether recent or historic, to report it to the police. Please be assured that you will be listened to, taken seriously and supported by professionals with experience of dealing with these kind of offences."

All of those arrested have been released under investigation.