TRAINING to help people identify the signs of 'on street child sexual exploitation' has led to one potential trafficking victim being saved by Bradford police, it was revealed today.

A private hire driver who had undertaken the training identified suspicious behaviour by some of his passengers leading to police intervening to stop a female being exploited.

West Yorkshire Police and independent charity Crimestoppers will mark Child Sexual Exploitation Day today by holding a conference to look at the issue.

The partnership is raising the issue of On Street Child Sexual Exploitation, where children are groomed in public places like takeaways and hotels.

It hopes to tackle the issue by working with professionals who may have contact with potential perpetrators and those who have contact with children.

Superintendent Vince Firth, partnerships lead for Bradford District Police, urged members of the public to let police know if they saw anything suspicious, like a like a young person with a group of older people, adding: "If somebody sees something that doesn't look right, then the chances are it isn't right.

"If it feels wrong then people need to ring police and tell us about it.

"It might be that 99 people call us about a concern, we investigate and it turns out to be completely innocent, but that 100th call might be something serious. We want people to know that they are not wasting our time by calling, and we will investigate every single call.

"I'm delighted that so many people are condemning this and reporting it to police."

He said there had been work with numerous groups in Bradford to tackle CSE, including providing training to hotel staff and cab drivers to spot the signs of on street grooming.

Supt Firth added: "There is some great work going on. Just a few weeks ago we had a private hire driver who had been on the course to learn about the signs of grooming and trafficking and he shared concerns with us about a woman he had in his car.

"We then went on to be able to safeguard that woman from being trafficked and exploited. That was all a result of him being able to notice the signs.

"Lots of businesses in the city are now signing up and taking part in the training available.

"We mustn't be complacent. There are so many children at risk, and we must work collectively to protect them. It is important that the public plays their part."

Gemma Wilson, regional manager for Crimestoppers in Yorkshire, said: "By raising awareness in this way hope that more will have the confidence to speak up if they see something wrong and really help to disrupt this awful crime.”

Anyone with information on child sexual exploitation can contact West Yorkshire Police on 101 or anonymously to Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111 or through the charity’s Anonymous Online Form at crimestoppers-uk.org