11 held after child abuse gang smash

A SUSPECTED child sex abuse gang has been smashed by police as part of a crackdown on the exploitation of young girls.

Officers said 11 people were arrested under Operation Heliodor in the south Manchester area.

The suspected abusers were arrested for alleged offences including sexual activity with a child, attempted indecent assault, inciting child prostitution, abduction and rape.

The arrests come at a time of increased scrutiny over the way police forces, including Gtr Manchester, deal with child sexual exploitation allegations in the wake of damning reports and claims that widespread abuse of children was effectively ignored by officers for years.

Det Insp Debbie Oakes, of the Greater Manchester Police’s Protect Team, said “Tackling child sexual exploitation and those responsible for such heinous crimes is an absolute priority for us.”