The formation of the Community Alliance Against Sexual Exploitation in Bradford yesterday marks another step forward in the ongoing fight to tackle the issue of grooming in the district.

It shows that all sections of the community are taking the problem of the abuse of vulnerable girls seriously and are determined to act against it.

And there should be no hiding from the fact that it is all sections of the community that need to take responsibility for getting to grips with this despicable crime, where adults mercilessly take advantage of vulnerable and easily-influenced young people.

It is an undeniable fact that the majority of the 90 people police have arrested in the last six months are Asian, as have been some of the high-profile convicted offenders seen in the district in recent months, and the involvement of Islamic groups in getting to grips with the problem shows a recognition of this.

But this is not a racial issue – this is about wicked, inadequate grown men of all races and religions preying on under-age girls and using them; causing untold damage to already troubled young people.

What cannot be allowed to happen in future is any failure on the part of the authorities to investigate claims of abuse, whether it is because the victims are considered to be less than reliable witnesses, or the alleged offender is considered to be of good standing, or out of some misguided political correctness.

As the Savile case and subsequent investigations and prosecutions arising from it have shown us, men from all sections of our community are sadly capable of committing these horrific crimes of sexual exploitation.

The most important thing is we do everything we possibly can to protect our children from these sick and depraved opportunist predators.