Keighley MP Ann Cryer has called on members of the town's Asian community to work together against alleged criminal activity involving some young men in the area.

Police and social services have launched an inquiry after parents reported concerns about the welfare of their daughters in the town.

It is claimed more than 30 white girls, some said to be as young as 11 or 12, have been raped, abused and prostituted by Asian men in their late teens and twenties over the last 18 months.

Mrs Cryer, who has appeared on TV and in newspapers detailing the alleged problems, today said she stood by her claims.

"My hope is that this adverse publicity will embarrass these young men into more appropriate behaviour," she said.

Mrs Cryer said police action against the suspects might stop the problem long-term, but would not help in the short-term.

"The Asian community, particularly the women, could get involved and persuade the young men of the error of their ways," she said. "I'm not suggesting they should set up a lynch mob or take the law into their own hands, but it is a very close-knit community and they will know the people involved."

Khadim Hussain, chief executive of Keighley's Sangat Community Centre, said he heard of the problems after talking to youth workers in the town.

"I was appalled and dismayed that if the problem was going on and social services and the police were involved, at no stage did they decide to involve the very community members who are being accused."

Mr Hussain said that Mrs Cryer's comments had brought disrepute on the whole of Bradford's Mirpuri population. He claimed those allegedly involved represented a very small minority of the district's Asian community.

Police, social services and other agencies have set up a support network for parents and families affected, and urged young women to come forward with allegations of abuse.

They said the fact that some of the girls involved had been unwilling to complain, because they did not feel they were being exploited, had made the investigation more difficult. They urged people to contact them on (01535) 617059 or the child protection unit on (01274) 434343.

A 25-year-old man from the Lawkholme area of Keighley has been charged with two counts of rape on a 13-year-old girl. And a 17-year-old from Keighley was arrested on August 12 on suspicion of outraging public decency and released on police bail pending further inquiries.