WARRINGTON Borough Council is encouraging everyone to think, spot and speak out against child sex abuse as part of National Child Sexual Exploitation Awareness Day.

The day, which takes place on Sunday, March 18, will see the council joining partners across the region in highlighting the issues surrounding child sexual exploitation and promoting a zero tolerance to adults developing inappropriate relationships with children.

During the day the council will be taking part in a “Thunderclap” and is asking residents to join them.

A thunderclap is a tool used on social media sites to simultaneously post a message from hundreds of accounts - www.thunderclap.it/projects/66880-cse-awareness-day-2018#

More than one in three children who experience sexual abuse by an adult do not tell anyone else about it.

Cllr Jean Carter, executive board member for children’s services, said: “We all have a duty to protect those who are most vulnerable within our communities. Every day, we continue to work hard to protect children and to ensure the appropriate advice, support and safeguarding is in place for them.

“It is important to remember there is never one type of victim or offender and that child sexual exploitation can happen to anyone. The impact this type of crime can have on a child is absolutely devastating and can have a long lasting and significant effect on all those involved.”

The council and its partners are committed to the fight again CSE and supporting victims and their families who are subjected to child sexual exploitation. But they cannot succeed without the support of communities.

Richard Strachan, chair of Warrington safeguarding children board, said: “The board is committed to help raising awareness of child sexual exploitation and supporting professionals in tackling CSE so that those children and young people experiencing, or at risk of CSE, are better supported and protected, and those exploiting our children are held to account for their actions.”