HOTEL staff, taxi drivers and bars will be targeted in a campaign aimed at raising awareness of child sexual exploitation.

Hampshire Constabulary is launching a campaign aimed at taxi drivers and staff working in hotels, take away outlets, bars and children’s care homes to encourage reporting of the signs of CSE specific to their work place.

It coincides with National Child Exploitation Day, which is marked tomorrow.

Officers will visit and deliver the Operation Make Safe training package specific businesses in Hampshire and on the Isle of Wight.

A series of training sheets and posters will be provided to staff to make them aware of situations to look out for which may indicate CSE is happening on their premises or in their taxi.

Examples of the signs we are asking staff to look for are:

  • Hotel guests who are secretive about the identity of young people in their company or have a number of adult visitors to their room
  • Young people looking nervous or frightened in the company of an adult
  • A young person under the influence of drugs and alcohol being put into a taxi by an adult

Child Sexual Exploitation lead for Hampshire Constabulary, Detective Superintendent Victoria Dennis said: “If local businesses are better able to identify the signs of CSE and then report to us we can help more vulnerable young people in Hampshire and on the Isle of Wight.

“Operation Make Safe has already been used successfully by the Metropolitan Police; we hope to see similar results here.

“Young people may not always recognise that they are being exploited or aware of the risks.

"They are often groomed by the perpetrators or feel trapped and can’t see a way to escape the situation they find themselves in.

"We hope this campaign will raise awareness of the signs of CSE which in turn will enable us to support those at risk and bring perpetrators to justice.”