Police watchdog probing 42 Rotherham officers over child grooming

The Independent Police Complaints Commission launched a probe in November into ten officers involved in incidents highlighted in the Jay report.

Since then, thirty complaints have been made to the IPCC containing more than 100 allegations about 42 named serving and retired officers.

There are also claims about a number of officers whose identities are currently unknown. Efforts are being made to identify them.

An IPCC spokesman said: “The allegations range from neglect of duty by failing to adequately investigate on the basis of intelligence or to deal with incidents appropriately, inappropriate comments and suggestions of corrupt relationships between police officers and offenders.

“In addition we are investigating an allegation that South Yorkshire Police failed to act on information passed to them in 2004 and 2006 about alleged child sexual exploitation in Sheffield.

“This complaint relates to two named police officers who are now retired from the police service.”