Undercover police test hotels over child sexual exploitation

Officers have been checking into rooms in London accompanied by young cadets

Exploitation often takes place in hotels (iStock)

Hotel staff’s ability to spot potential sexual exploitation of children is being tested by undercover police.

Officers have been checking into rooms in London accompanied by young cadets while brandishing bottles of alcohol, refusing to show identification and paying in cash.

Many of the venues had been given training on how to spot exploitation and Scotland Yard hoped that members of staff would spot the red flags.

Officers said children are often piled with drugs, alcohol, money or gifts.

Statistics show that in the past three years, child sexual exploitation-related offences have nearly doubled in London, from 602 to 1107.

It has led to the Metropolitan Police launching Operation Makesafe which provides businesses such as hotels, licensed premises and taxi companies with awareness training to help them recognise the signs of child sexual exploitation.

NSPCC head of tackling sexual abuse Jon Brown said: "Exercises like this are vital if we are to lift the lid on child sexual exploitation and better protect children and young people."

The Met did not say how many venues spotted the signs of exploitation in the tests.

Agencies contributed to this report