A Huddersfield woman has vowed to continue a vigil over the scandal of the Rotherham sex abuse report.

Fiona Varley, who is 52 and disabled, is one of a number of English Defence League members involved in a protest in the South Yorkshire town.

They have been camping out for a week demanding the immediate resignation or sacking of Crime Commissioner Shaun Wright.

The deputy leader of Rotherham Council has said he is “appalled” by the contents of a report which revealed at least 1,400 children were sexually exploited in the town.

Paul Lakin apologised again for what happened in the town at the beginning of a packed meeting of the council’s ruling Labour cabinet, which was attended by Mrs Varley and other protestors.

He said: “We have all been appalled by the terrible contents of this report.

“It is with a deep sense of regret that we are here today to discuss how, in the past, as a council, we badly let down young people and families we were here to protect.”

Last week’s report by Professor Alexis Jay outlined details of exploitation over a 16-year period with examples of girls who were raped, trafficked, threatened with extreme violence and ignored by the statutory authorities.

The Jay Report sparked a wave of criticism of police, councillors and local authority officials but only council leader Roger Stone has resigned in its wake. Mr Wright said he will continue in his job until 2016.

The protest, which has been noisy but mainly trouble-free, has attracted support from EDL branches across the country.

Fiona Varley one of the protesters outside Rotherham Police Station

Mrs Varley, who used to work as a carer, said: “I have been here for six nights, sleeping in my car, while others are in tents.

“We will stay until Wright goes from his post.

“We have set up camp outside the town’s police station, across the road from the social services building, and we are letting people know our feelings.

“The support has generally been very good. A lot of people are coming down to us with hot food and drinks, and have supplied up with a generator and with airbeds.

“There has been some abuse from a handful of people but we plan to see this through”.