A SENIOR town councillor is backing demands for a full public inquiry into child sexual exploitation in Keighley.

Michael Westerman, who chairs Keighley town council's watch and transport committee and is a former mayor, blasts the lack of an inquiry as "absolutely scandalous".

Bradford Council chiefs ruled out such an investigation, into how grooming had been tackled, claiming the "time wasn't right".

But Cllr Westerman says: "When will the time ever be right?

"These horrific crimes have been going on for years in Keighley, yet the authorities did nothing.

"We need a full and frank public inquiry now to establish what went wrong and what lessons can be learned.

"When are people going to open their eyes to what's going on?

"While we sit around waiting and doing nothing, there are probably about a dozen girls out there now being sexually exploited.

"The time for talking has ended. We need action."

He is supporting a campaign by Keighley mum Angela Sinfield, who launched a petition calling for an inquiry. It has amassed more than 2,000 signatures.

She wants an inquiry covering 1995 to 2016, similar to that conducted by professor Alexis Jay in Rotherham.

Both she and the then Keighley MP Ann Cryer raised the issue of grooming gangs in the town more than a decade ago, but their concerns were largely ignored by the authorities.

Last week, a senior police officer apologised to anti-grooming campaigners and admitted that West Yorkshire Police had "missed the signs" of child sex exploitation in the past.

Superintendent Vince Firth was speaking during a heated discussion on child sexual exploitation at a meeting of Bradford Council's children's services scrutiny committee, shortly after the force was accused of having ignored warnings.

The committee heard that more young people were now being referred to the district's child exploitation hub, which investigates grooming cases, and that this meant more people were recognising the signs of exploitation.

Earlier this year, 12 men who raped or sexually abused a teenage girl in Keighley were locked-up for a total of more than 140 years.

But community leaders feared the prosecutions were just the tip of the iceberg.

Police said a number of investigations into alleged grooming cases in the town were ongoing.

Grooming was discussed by the council's executive this week and it was agreed that different areas of the district should get tailored insights into the problem.

Council leader, Councillor Susan Hinchcliffe, asked officers to create five different reports which would go to the district's area committees.

The meeting heard that while reports of child sexual exploitation had increased by 65 per cent, this was thought to be down to increased awareness.

Anyone who has concerns or suspicions about child sexual exploitation should contact either the police on 101 or Bradford Children’s Specialist Services on 01274 435600.