NEARLY 30 men have been arrested as police in Keighley investigate child sexual exploitation cases by an alleged grooming gang.

It is one of three major investigations West Yorkshire Police is carrying out into alleged multiple offences of child sexual exploitation with the others being in Leeds and Calderdale.

The inquiry in Keighley has so far led to 28 men being arrested for alleged offences against four girls.

The issue's profile has been raised by the scandal in Rotherham, where at least 1,400 children were sexually exploited between 1997 and 2013.

But Granville Ward, safeguarding delivery manager for West Yorkshire Police, said the Safeguarding Board in Bradford had been held up as a model of good practice.

He said: "Extensive work has been ongoing between West Yorkshire Police and partners in recent years to investigate and prevent Child Sexual Exploitation, with the emphasis firmly on experts from agencies working together to put the victim first.

"Police officers meet and work regularly with partners in health and social services in conjunction with Safeguarding Boards, often from the same offices.

"Bradford has a single referral process and a Child Sexual Exploitation hub. This has in the past been independently inspected by OFSTED and was one of only three areas in the country to be awarded an outstanding for partnership working. Both were recorded nationally as systems of best practice."

Mr Ward said live investigations into alleged offences were ongoing, with 12 men now charged in Leeds and those cases going through the courts. In Calderdale, 31 men are currently on bail for alleged offences against two girls.

Last year, two men from Halifax were convicted and received 18 and 17-year prison sentences. Over the past year police have also carried out visits to premises where grooming can take place, such as hotels, bars and takeaways.

There are currently 65 live CSE investigations in West Yorkshire, the vast majority of them involving a single offender and victim.

Bradford Councillor Ralph Berry, who is in charge of children and young people's services, said an additional £250,000 had been invested into tackling the issue in Bradford this year.

Coun Berry said: "Prosecutions and convictions have to happen, but we have to do prevention as well as enforcement and we have commissioned additional services to do work in schools to make pupils aware."

He added: "I don't want to be seen to be complacent. It is a number one priority for me, for the local authority and for the safeguarding board.

"We have to be driven by the facts, whatever they are and wherever we find them. This is about boys and girls, it's about every race. We are not going to deny there has been an issue with one particular group in Keighley. I'm not hiding from that."

West Yorkshire Police's Know The Signs campaign, aimed at raising awareness of the offence, is currently focusing on online grooming. Details can be found at http://www.westyorkshire.police.uk/cse.

Anyone who has information about child sexual exploitation, or who is a victim, is urged to contact police on 101, or Crimestoppers anonymously, on 0800 555 111.