Hotels fail to spot signs of child exploitation

Four hotel chains will be offered additional training after staff failed to spot the dangers of child sexual exploitation during undercover police visits.

West Mercia Police said it sent in officers in plain clothes to book rooms in Shrewsbury, along with child volunteers, to see if the hotels would identify child exploitation concerns and flag them up.

All four hotels failed the test and the force said the results of the operation would be shared with the national Child Sexual Exploitation Taskforce.

Det Sgt Jon Statham said: "We know that offenders use hotels to commit child sexual exploitation due to the privacy and anonymity hotels can provide."

For that reason, he said hotel staff were in a "prime position to spot the signs" and he wanted the workers to be their "eyes and ears".

"We will continue to work with hotels and other businesses to ensure they have the necessary training to help keep young people safe," he said.

The inspections were carried out as part of a national programme, called Operation Makesafe, which aims to prevent child sexual exploitation by educating businesses like hotels, pubs and taxi companies.

Follow BBC Shropshire on BBC Sounds, Facebook, X and Instagram.