HAMPSHIRE Constabulary marked national child sexual exploitation awareness day by asking businesses to spot the signs of exploitation.

Operation Make Safe is a campaign aimed at taxi drivers and staff working in hotels, takeaway outlets, bars and children’s care homes and is designed to raise awareness and encourage reporting of the signs of child sexual exploitation specific to their workplace.

The aim is to visit and deliver the Operation Make Safe training package to all of these types of businesses in Hampshire and on the Isle of Wight by neighbourhood policing teams.

A series of training sheets and posters were provided to staff on March 18 to make them aware of situations to look out for which may indicate child sexual exploitation is happening on their premises or in their taxis.

Signs of potential exploitation include 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, or young people under the influence of drugs and alcohol being put into a taxi by an adult.

Detective Superintendent Victoria Dennis, the child sexual exploitation lead for Hampshire Constabulary, said: “If local businesses are better able to identify the signs of child sexual exploitation 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 child sexual exploitation which in turn will enable us to support those at risk and bring perpetrators to justice.”