Humberside Police has closed a major investigation into child sex grooming gangs in Hull for the second time, bringing no charges. The first probe called Operation Marksman ran from 2019 to June 2021 when it closed with no charges even though 34 people had been arrested. Details of the first investigation were revealed by UK News and Investigations editor Jon Austin while he was Crime Editor of the Sunday Express. It was after a former social worker whistleblower alleged th

The Statutory Independent Inquiry into Grooming Gangs for England and Wales has formally received its mandate with its terms of reference published today, March 31 2026. Once they are laid before the House of Commons on 13 April, the Inquiry will begin its investigation into the sexual abuse and exploitation of children by grooming gangs across England and Wales. The Inquiry is chaired by Baroness Anne Longfield CBE, supported by panellists Zoë Billingham CBE and Eleanor Kell

SEARCHES of two properties linked to Peter Mandleson have concluded while the "complex" investigation continues, the Met Police said. Deputy Assistant Commissioner Hayley Sewart said this morning, Saturday, February 7 2026: “I can confirm that officers from the Met’s Central Specialist Crime team have carried out searches at two addresses, one in the Wiltshire area, and another in the Camden area. The searches were related to an ongoing investigation into misconduct in public

Two men who raped a vulnerable girl in Rotherham over 25 years ago have been jailed today, 22 December 2025, following a National Crime Agency (NCA) historic grooming investigation. Kessur Ajaib, 44, (above left) and Mohammed Makhmood, 43, (above right) both of Rotherham, were aged between 18 and 20 at the time of offending. Ajaib and Makhmood raped the victim, aged around 14, over a period of more than two years, starting in 1999. The girl was attacked by Ajaib while out in

ONLINE child sex abuse offences soared in 2024 new figures show, with fifty percent of all crimes now commited by other children aged 10-17 years. There were 122,768 child sex abuse and exploitation (CSAE) offences recorded in 2024 – a six percent increase on 2023. Online abuse has increased with more British-based paedophiles being caught as members of international online child abuse gangs such as Joao Teixeira , 25, who yesterday admitted 12 charges in connection with ille

A LABOUR peer has been announced as the chair of the national inquiry into grooming gangs . Former children’s commissioner Anne Longfield (above) was announced as the lead of the inquiry announced by Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer in June this year following a damning report by Baroness Louise Casey who completed a rapid audit looking at the scale of grooming gangs across the country. Announcing the appointment in the House of Commons yesterday Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood

THE most senior civil servant in the Home Office was unable to confirm what the budget will be for the National Grooming Gangs Inquiry, or how many people will work on it, and could not commit to there being any meaningful update before Christmas. Dame Antonia Romeo (above), the Permanent Secretary for the Home Office, received a grilling from MPs on the Home Affairs Select Committee, about when the inquiry will be up and running. Robbie Moore, (below) Tory MP for Keighly an

A MAN who raped a girl in Rotherham around 25 years ago when he was 14 has been jailed today, November 11 2025 at Sheffield Crown Court. Sageer Hussain, 40, who is already serving a 19-year-jail sentence for raping a girl, was sentenced to a further three years in prison for raping a second girl, following an investigation by the National Crime Agency (NCA). Hussain, a British national of Pakistani heritage, and the girl were both aged about 14 at the time. The girl used to s

MORE than 230 previously closed grooming gang investigations are being reviewed by the "national police operation" led by the National Crime Agency (NCA) it can be revealed. Dubbed Operation Beaconport, the probe will be one of the biggest ever policing operations the country has ever seen, but the NCA was today unable to confirm its budget. It will review cases where police forces (across England and Wales) and the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) made the decision to take no

THE Met Police is reviewing 9,000 child sex abuse cases, including many involving alleged grooming gangs, despite London Mayor Sadiq Khan previously suggesting there wasn't a problem in the capital. The force revealed it was looking back at the cases dating back to about 2010 as part of a nationwide reinvestigation of grooming gang cases recommended by Baroness Casey following her report on the scandal published in June. A Met spokesman said: "We are currently undertaking a r