VARIOUS agencies across the county have come together to raise awareness about child sexual exploitation.

Residents are being urged to familiarise themselves with the typical signs of CSE and report anything suspicious about it they may see.

The joint call from Swindon Borough Council, Wiltshire Council, Wiltshire Police, the local health sector and other partners is being made in the lead up to National Child Sexual Exploitation Awareness Day on Friday.

People can support the day’s #HelpingHands social media drive by posting pictures online with the hashtag written on their hands.

CSE is abuse when children and young people, both boys and girls, are sexually exploited for something, such as food, accommodation, cigarettes, drugs, affection, gifts or money, by one or a number of people.

A website, www.saysomethingswindon.co.uk, was recently launched by Swindon Borough Council to inform visitors about CSE.

Letters jointly signed by the council and police containing tell-tell signs and specific information about CSE were also sent to local taxi drivers, hoteliers, bus company employees and licensed premises in the Borough.

Successful prosecutions of people elsewhere in the country have shown that employees in those particular business sectors are likely to encounter signs of CSE.

Councillor Fionuala Foley (Con, CHiseldon and Lawn), the cabinet member for children’s services, said: “Child sexual exploitation is a terrible crime, carried out by people who prey on vulnerable children who may not even realise they are being exploited by forcing them into sexual acts.

“It is a national issue and everybody has a big role to play by recognising the signs and reporting anything that they may see or experience, to help keep young people safe.”

Wiltshire Council set up a new team in partnership with Wiltshire Police in October 2015 to focus on missing children and those affected by CSE.

Detective Superintendent Craig Holden, Head of Public Protection at Wiltshire Police, said: “We take all reports of Child Sexual Exploitation extremely seriously and we work closely with our partners to do all we can to bring offenders to justice and provide support to victims.”

• If people are concerned that a child is at immediate risk of CSE they should ring Wiltshire Police on 999

• If the child is not at immediate risk but people still have concerns and have some details about the child, such as their name or address and they live in the Borough of Swindon, they should contact Swindon Borough Council’s Family Contact Point during office hours (Monday to Friday, 9am to 5pm) on 01793 466903 or send an email to FCP@swindon.gov.uk

• If the child is not at immediate risk but people still have concerns and have some details about the child, such as their name or address and they live in Wiltshire and not in the Borough of Swindon, they should call the Wiltshire Multi Agency Safeguarding Hub (MASH) on 0300 456 0108

• Otherwise people should call Wiltshire Police’s non-emergency line on 101 to report their concerns about possible sexual exploitation