STAFF at 'the front of the war against child sexual exploitation’ were told how to spot warning signs as part of the police’s latest initiative.

Officers and the Child Sexual Exploitation team visited Skyways Hotel in Langley to launch an initiative teaching businesses and schools about the warning signs of CSE.

Talking to hotel staff on Monday (26/1), Sergeant Kashmira Mann said: “You are at the front of the war against child sexual exploitation.” He added: “Prevention is better than a cure. It’s nice to catch the offenders but that means there’s victims.” Sexual exploitation of children and young people under 18 involves them being manipulated into a sexual relationship by an adult through the offering of something in return, such as gifts or affection.

The training aims to highlight key indicators to look out for so that hotel staff can spot the warning signs and contact police.

It also aims to help protect businesses by informing them about potential measures they can implement such as age verification checks, refusal records and incident logs.

When questioned about wasting police time with claims that prove to be false, Sgt Mann answered: “We don’t care if you’re wrong.

“It probably is nothing but would you be happy if that’s the one person you could have saved?” Other hotels set to take part in the training include the Premier Inn and the Marriott, as well as schools.