The Mancunian Way: Punching above its weight

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Here's the Mancunian Way for today:

The head of Greater Manchester Police revealed the force is actively pursuing child sexual exploitation suspects currently in Pakistan to face possible criminal charges here.

GMP is 'seeking to bring suspects in from Pakistan' but Chief Constable Stephen Watson refused to elaborate further during an interview with LBC Radio due to 'judicial processes'. He didn't reveal how many suspects were involved, as Paul Britton reports.

His comments follow a visit to Rochdale by the Prime Minister and Home Secretary earlier this month. While there Rishi Sunak and Suella Braverman launched a 'grooming gangs taskforce' to combat child sexual exploitation.

The PM pledged 'political correctness' would not get in the way of the crackdown and ministers promised tougher sentences and new support for local forces to protect children from abuse. Ethnicity data will also be used to support police investigations and part of the plan will see specialist officers assist local police forces to solve child sexual exploitation investigations as part of the taskforce.

Chief Constable Watson today said GMP will ‘hunt down people who commit these offences’. “We are in a position where I think that stuff that happens today will be dealt with quickly and professionally and sensitively. But the stuff that's happened in the past doesn't stay in the past because it happened a long time ago and it's in respect of that, we are bringing people to justice all the time and future announcements shortly to be made," he said.

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