Rotherham abuse scandal: Shaun Wright dropped from policy advisory group

South Yorkshire Police and Crime Commissioner Shaun Wright appearing in front of the Home Affairs Select Committee on Tuesday (PA)

Shaun Wright, the police and crime commissioner who has defied calls to step down over the Rotherham abuse scandal, has been dropped as a Home Office policy adviser on combating crimes against women and children.

Mr Wright faced fresh criticism yesterday after it emerged he remained the Labour representative for the Association of Police and Crime Commissioners on the Sexual Violence Against Children and Vulnerable People National Group.

However, officials said he was barred from sitting on the advisory group because he has resigned from the Labour party since the Rotherham sex abuse scandal broke.

Mr Wright was a prominent Rotherham councillor with responsibility for child safety during the years when warnings were ignored about widespread grooming by gangs in the town where 1,400 children were abused over 16 years.

Despite his central role at the council, he has denied knowledge of the extent of the abuse and said quitting would have been the “easy option” given the criticisms he had faced over the past fortnight.