PEOPLE are being asked to follow their gut instincts after it was revealed more than 200 children are at risk of sexual exploitation across the region.

Durham Local Safeguarding Board (Durham LSCB) has been appealing to communities across County Durham to keep their eyes peeled and report anything “that does not feel right”.

The appeal was recently made by Durham LSCB’s Sean Barry, who gave a presentation about Child Sexual Exploitation (CSE) at the latest meeting of the Teesdale Action Partnership.

Mr Barry said: “We need your help. CSE has gotten a big focus naturally ever since Jimmy Saville and wider big reviews in Rotherham and Rochdale.

“We are talking to groups across the whole of County Durham because what they have seen in Rotherham and Rochdale is that big organisations weren’t prepared to accept that CSE was an issue in their area and because they did not work together as well as they could and because of that young people were sexually exploited for a number of years.”

He added: “If we engage with them and educate those young people, we reduce the risks they have of being sexually exploited.

“The offenders whose goal is to sexually exploit young or vulnerable people we know about and pursue them but what we don’t have is community intelligence which means we don’t get to know someone is a risk until they’re a high risk.”

Mr Barry said the children at risk included those that put themselves in a high risk situation or were in one because of their circumstance but that number could be reduced if community intelligence was improved.

He also said there were “strong links” between sexual exploitation and children who had been reported missing.

“If there’s a little alarm bell going off in your head tell us,” he said.

A 12-month pilot scheme called Educate and Raise Awareness of Sexual Exploitation (ERASE) has also been introduced to help combat the issue.

If you have any concerns call First Contact on 03000-267979, the police on 101 or Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800-555111.