The UK government has announced a near tenfold increase in funding for detectives investigating grooming gangs, but police have warned that the amount will "likely fall short" of what is required.
Funding Increase Details
Operation Beaconport, established last year to review closed group-based sexual exploitation cases in England and Wales, will receive nearly £38 million, up from £4 million in the previous year, according to a Home Office statement. Additionally, police forces will receive £9 million to deploy AI technology for faster detection of online abusers, part of a broader £100 million package to combat child sexual abuse.
Police Concerns
Police sources have cautioned that the increased funding will "likely fall short" of covering the costs associated with tackling group-based child exploitation. The scale and complexity of the reviews are expected to require a significant number of officers over an extended period. The additional cash is not anticipated to meet the funding forces would need for a dedicated team, the source added.
Political Context
Prime Minister Keir Starmer faces political pressure to address grooming gangs, a key campaign issue for Nigel Farage's Reform UK in Labour heartlands. The extra funding follows the resignation of Home Office minister Jess Phillips, who criticised Starmer for a lack of urgency in tackling online abuse. Responding to the announcement, Phillips said: "It is about time that both grooming gangs and all forms of child sexual abuse were seen as the priority they are, and this extra funding will go a long way to righting historical wrongs."
Background and Inquiry
Ministers came under pressure in January 2025 after Elon Musk highlighted the government's refusal of Oldham council's request for a second national inquiry. Starmer announced a specific grooming gangs inquiry in June, but it stalled due to disagreements over its remit and difficulties finding a chair. Former children's commissioner Anne Longfield eventually agreed to chair the £65 million statutory inquiry, which will examine whether ethnicity, culture, or religion influenced offending and institutional responses.
Technology and Additional Measures
Police officers will have access to "AI-enabled intelligence tools" to analyse large datasets, translate foreign-language material, and identify patterns among suspects. Backed by £9 million, the technology aims to bring predators to justice regardless of force size or resources. Another £11.7 million will fund the Undercover Online Network, targeting predators on the dark web. Between April 2024 and 2025, the network helped safeguard 1,748 children and led to 1,797 arrests.
Official Statements
Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood said: "The grooming gangs scandal is one of the darkest moments in our country's history... There will be no hiding place for the predatory monsters who committed unimaginable crimes." National Crime Agency's Jav Oomer welcomed the funding, noting the increasing complexity and severity of child sexual abuse offending, with offenders becoming more technologically sophisticated.
