Five more men held in Rotherham child grooming inquiry

The men were arrested on suspicion of conspiracy to rape and have been taken to a police station in South Yorkshire where they will be interviewed by National Crime Agency investigators.

The arrests were carried out as part of Operation Stovewood, an independent investigation into child sexual exploitation and abuse in Rotherham between 1997-2013.

All five were arrested at separate addresses in Rotherham.

More victims come forward following Rotherham child sex grooming case

A total of 14 arrests have so far been made as part of the operation, which has 42 designated suspects, and has made contact with 134 victims and survivors. There are 17 separate investigations within the overall inquiry.

In her report on the town two years ago, Professor Alexis Jay said the total number of victims was around 1,400.

Her report said the majority of abusers came from a Pakistani background, with most victims being white girls.

The 70-strong crime agency team has said it believes the number of potential suspects also runs into the hundreds.

The investigation was set up at the invitation of South Yorkshire Police in December 2014