AGENCIES across Bradford District will join forces to mark national child sexual exploitation (CSE) awareness day which takes place on Sunday.

A series of activities to mark the day will take place in Bradford tomorrow and in Keighley on Monday.

The events in Bradford will run from 10am to 5pm in City Park and The Broadway Shopping Centre. They will be supported with special guest appearances by former rugby great Robbie Hunter-Paul along with players from Bradford Bulls and Bradford City Football Club.

In City Park there will be police horses, information on human trafficking and cyber safety as well as the HALE sexual health bus. The Lord Mayor of Bradford will also start a balloon release between 3.30 and 4.30pm.

At 4.10pm at City Hall, the fountains in City Park and Margaret McMillan Towers will be lit in green to support CSE awareness day.

In the Broadway there will be face painting, a smoothie bike, a mini video workshop and a helping hands activity. A number of stalls will be available with information on CSE, child trafficking, missing children and drugs and alcohol misuse and how people can get help.

Staff will be around to talk to members of the public and children of to raise awareness about CSE. The Lord Mayor of Bradford will cut a cake kindly donated by Sandy Docherty, previous contestant in the Great British Bake Off, between 3.30 and 4.30pm.

An awareness raising event will also take place in Keighley on Monday at the Airedale Centre from 10am to 4pm and the Bus Station from 2pm to 4pm which will raise awareness about the signs of CSE and what to do with the information.

Young people's support charity Step 2 will be in the HALE bus, which will be parked on Hanover Street, Keighley and will provide information around health and wellbeing, safer relationships and signs of CSE for any young person, parent or carer.

The national day aims to highlight the issues surrounding CSE, encouraging everyone to think, spot and speak out against abuse. The day will also stress the need to adopt a zero tolerance to adults developing inappropriate relationships with children or children developing inappropriate relationships with other children.

Detective Inspector Richard McNamara, of the Bradford District Safeguarding Unit, said: “Key public engagement and awareness events like these are very important as they are an excellent opportunity for police and partners to raise awareness of child sexual exploitation and the support services we can offer to victims in Bradford District.

“No single agency can tackle this crime alone and that is why it is vital that we continue to work in partnership to make sure that victims are identified at an early stage and protected from their abusers."

Coun Val Slater, portfolio holder for health and wellbeing, said: “CSE is a terrible crime that no child should ever have to experience. Everyone in our community has a duty to help prevent it. CSE awareness day helps agencies work together to help people understand more about this crime, the forms it takes, what signs to look for, and what people can do about it. Don’t think ‘what if I’m wrong?’ Think ‘what if I’m right?”