Gangs of Asian men who groom and sexually abuse teenage girls in the Bradford district have been branded “sick and evil” as the Government announced a major new crackdown on child exploitation.

And a leading Muslim organisation has called for Asian communities to tackle those men who “bring shame on their families” by plying teenage white girls with drink and drugs before attacking or raping them.

Children’s Minister, Tim Loughton yesterday vowed to review sex education and provide more support for child victims in court in a raft of measures to protect victims.

The Tackling Child Sexual Exploitation Action Plan will bring together the police, the Crown Prosecution Service, local safeguarding children boards and support organisations like Rape Crisis.

Mohammed Shafiq, chief executive of the Ramadan Foundation, a leading Muslim organisation in the UK that is working for peaceful co-existence and dialogue for all communities, said: “In Bradford we have a problem because girls from care homes in Keighley and from Leeds are going to Bradford and being abused, predominantly by Pakistani gangs.

“There must be no hiding place for these criminals, regardless of race or background in our country and we must not shy away from speaking out.”

He described the child predators as “sick and evil”, adding: “There is somebody, somewhere who knows this is going on. The time for ill-informed racial sensitivities on this needs to be stopped and we need immediate implementation of all elements of this action plan.”

Ann Cryer, the former Keighley Labour MP and an ardent campaigner against grooming, said: “We are now in a position, with what the minister has announced, to tackle this but we can’t do anything unless the Asian community give their support.”

The Ministry of Justice will provide more than £15 million over three years to voluntary organisations to provide support to victims. No money was pledged, though, to help Councils tackle the major problem at grassroots level.

Bradford Safeguarding Children Board (SCB) said key agencies will meet daily about children’s protection.

Bradford Council leader, Ian Greenwood, said: “We view the welfare of our children and young people as the most important responsibility that we have, so we will do whatever we can and should do to protect them.”

A spokesman for the Bradford Council for Mosques said it unreservedly condemned manipulation of young men and women for sexual or any other form of abuse. “There should be no hiding place for the culprits.”