Seven arrested as part of suspected child exploitation plot across Staffordshire
Raids were carried out in different towns across the county on Thursday
Seven people have been arrested by Staffordshire Police as part of an ongoing investigation into child exploitation.
Officers carried out raids across the county on Thursday (February 6th) including in towns such as Stone, Blythe Bridge, Barlaston and Stoke-on-Trent.
All seven people were arrested as part of the force's enquiries into coercing children into committing criminal activities in the local community.
Among the offences named by police include intent to commit human trafficking, requiring a person to perform forced or compulsory labour and conspiracy to supply class A and B drugs.
Speaking on the arrests, Detective Inspector Kirsty Oldfield from Staffordshire Police: "We want to send a clear message to those involved in child criminal exploitation that you’re not welcome in Staffordshire and we’re working around the clock to stop you.
“Vulnerable children in our communities should not be subjected to coercion by criminal gangs.
"We’re working closely with our partner agencies to put the right safeguarding measures in place to shield them from the people trying to do them harm.
“It’s absolutely vital that everyone in our local communities knows how to spot the signs that a child might be getting exploited and to report these concerns to us as soon as possible.
"We will continue to act against those responsible and support victims as much as possible in Staffordshire.”
Those who may have any relevant information that could lead to more arrests or further developments in the investigation can get in touch by calling 101 and quoting Operation Target.