Rishi Sunak promises crackdown on grooming gangs with new police taskforce

Prime minister to travel to northern England on Monday to announce the measures

Prime minister Rishi Sunak (PA Wire)

Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has pledged that “political correctness” will not get in the way of a crackdown on grooming gangs, as ministers promised tougher sentences and new support for local forces to protect children from abuse.

Mr Sunak will travel to northern England on Monday to announce a new set of measures the government says will protect young women and girls from sexual abuse, which will also see ethnicity data used to support police investigations.

Part of the plan will see specialist officers assist local police forces to solve child sexual exploitation investigations as part of a new grooming gangs taskforce, as Mr Sunak warned that for too long “political correctness has stopped us from weeding out vile criminals who prey on children and young women”.