MPs Call for Focused Inquiry on London Grooming Gangs
A group of MPs has called for the government's inquiry into grooming gangs to specifically include London in its local investigations.
In a letter obtained by the BBC, eight Conservative MPs along with three London Assembly members have demanded "urgent action" from Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood and Mayor of London Sir Sadiq Khan.
The MPs who signed the letter include the shadow home secretary, Chris Philp, and former Conservative Party leader Sir Iain Duncan Smith.
The letter follows a investigation published last month that revealed vulnerable girls as young as 14 were being coerced into forced sexual activity by gangs operating in London.
"Survivors told the BBC they had been raped by several men as payment for unpaid drug debts by the gangs that controlled them, while others said they had been groomed for sex," the letter states.
"We are horrified by these reports. The report lays bare the failings of the authorities in London to tackle the grooming gangs we have seen operating all over the country."
The government has announced a full national statutory inquiry into grooming gangs covering England and Wales.
This inquiry is expected to include new local investigations, which will proceed even if local authorities do not consent. However, the locations for these investigations have not yet been specified.
The MPs and Assembly members want one of these local inquiries to focus on London. They are also urging the Metropolitan Police to "set up a specific unit to look at these cases and bring these disgusting grooming gangs to justice."
In response, a Home Office spokesperson said:
"The local areas to be examined by the inquiry will be selected by the chair in due course.
Sexual and criminal abuse of children by gangs, whenever they occur, are among the most horrific crimes imaginable."
The final terms of reference for the national inquiry are expected to be published by 31 March, when the inquiry will be formally established. Former children's commissioner Baroness Anne Longfield has been appointed chair of the inquiry.
The inquiry was established following recommendations from Baroness Louise Casey's national audit on group-based child sexual exploitation and abuse, published in June 2025.
Complexity of Grooming Gangs in London
Public focus on grooming gangs has often been on northern England, but last month's BBC investigation revealed a complex situation in London. Gangs from diverse ethnic backgrounds, including white groups, are operating widely across the capital and frequently exploiting young women.
A spokesperson for the Metropolitan Police stated:
"Such cases are already investigated by specialist officers with expertise in sexual offences and safeguarding.
As part of the national re-investigation recommended by Baroness Casey, we also have a dedicated unit reviewing around 12,000 child sexual exploitation cases from a 15-year period.
Work is ongoing to further strengthen our specialist response - training over 11,000 frontline officers."
Approximately 2,000 child exploitation cases are reported to the Metropolitan Police annually. These cases include child sexual exploitation, child criminal exploitation, or instances where both forms of harm are present.
A spokesperson for Sir Sadiq Khan said:
"The mayor is clear that the Met Police must follow the evidence wherever it leads and he will continue to ensure it does everything possible to tackle all child sexual exploitation in the capital, including grooming gangs, to build a safer London for everyone."
