Detectives have issued a warning to hotels in Kirklees after four of them failed a police test designed to raise awareness of child sexual exploitation.

Police officers accompanied by under-age police cadets posed as customers seeking to book rooms at nine hotels in the Dewsbury area.

Four of the hotels tested failed to identify the risks and all hotel staff were later debriefed by police officers.

None of the hotels have been named.

The operation was carried out by the Integrated Offender Management and Safeguarding teams in Kirklees.

The aim was to see if staff were able to spot the signs of child sexual exploitation and if they took appropriate action to the circumstances.

A police spokesman said: “Nine hotels were visited in identical situations with police officers and police cadets posing a customers seeking to book a room.

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“Four of the nine hotels tested during the operation failed to identify the risks and all hotel staff were debriefed by police officers.”

The spokesman said that a “majority of hotels” visited welcomed the operation for testing the vigilance of staff.

He added: “Senior managers at all the establishments were visited following the operation, with advice and support offered so that they and their staff would be able to act swiftly and appropriately if they were concerned about a child or young person entering their premises who may be a victim or potential victim of exploitation or abuse.”

Det Sgt Chris Piggin (left) and PC Chris Birkenshaw who organised an operation to raise awareness of child sexual exploitation

Det Sgt Chris Piggin, Kirklees Integrated Offender Management Unit, who led the operation, said: “This operation is just one of a number of things our safeguarding teams are doing to protect young people across Kirklees district.

“It is our intention to disrupt any CSE perpetrator attempting to use hotels in Kirklees to carry out their activity and we will use any means necessary to protect the young and vulnerable in our district.

“Each hotel was visited and offered training and support to make sure staff working there knew the signs to be aware of and the steps they should take if they were concerned about possible customers entering their hotel.

“Protecting children from being abused and exploited is not something one agency can do alone. We continue to work closely with all our partners to tackle these heinous crimes, identify victims, and those who could be at risk of abuse, raise awareness and do everything we can to detect those responsible and bring them to justice.

“We need the support from the local community and businesses to be vigilant and to understand the signs of CSE, and what they can do to help protect children. They are someone’s daughter, son, brother or sister and the intervention from one of these hotels could help us identify potential offenders and ultimately protect victims or potential victims from the most serious harm.”