Report warns 'record' number of children at risk

Hundreds of children in York and North Yorkshire have been identified as being "at risk" of exploitation

The number of children at risk of criminal or sexual exploitation in York is higher than it has ever been, according to a council report.

York Safeguarding Partnership said more than 650 children across York and North Yorkshire seen as being vulnerable had now taken part in awareness sessions.

The organisation's annual report said authorities had got better at spotting exploitation, and seeing the signs earlier, which had led to the high number of children being identified.

The report was part of a briefing to City of York Council's health and wellbeing board - which included senior health professionals and the chief constable - on steps being taken to raise awareness of exploitation.

The meeting was given details of the work North Yorkshire Police had undertaken to help children and teenagers.

School liaison officers had worked one-to-one with a number a number of young people, in addition to the 657 who had attended awareness sessions, the meeting was told.

The report said one young person, who was working with the anti-exploitation charity St Giles Trust, was found to be selling intimate pictures of themselves to older men.

Charity staff intervened and called the police, who took the young person's devices away before they were able to meet one of the men in person, the report said.

It added: "Our staff worked with this young person at their home, and the young person engaged well in sessions.

"The worker reported that each week they saw progress and little by little the young person started to realise the risks they had taken and vowed they would no longer advertise themselves online."

'Remains a challenge'

Writing in the report, Catherine Clarke, North Yorkshire Police's assistant chief constable, said keeping children safe, and feeling safe, were priorities for the force.

For professionals to be able to identify and eliminate the risk to children, organisations had to work in partnership, Ms Clarke said.

"This remains a challenge to all partners, due to the complexity of threats both in our communities and online.

"However, the strength of this partnership enables us to respond in a co-ordinated, professional and positive way to keep children safe," she added.

The update in York came just days after North Yorkshire Council heard the number of children at risk of being criminally, or sexually, exploited outside the city had nearly doubled in two years.

A report said Harrogate had the most "at risk" children, at 38, while there were 36 in Scarborough and 24 in Selby.

The report said county lines gangs - which groom and exploit children to sell drugs for them - were changing their tactics, by becoming more "localised," instead of operating across police force boundaries.

In 2023, a man who "flooded" Harrogate with heroin and crack cocaine, and used children to transport drugs and money between Bradford and Harrogate, was jailed for more than 11 years.

To confront the problem, the report said, a dedicated "missing and exploitation" police team had been set up, and child protection experts met regularly to support families affected.

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