Child grooming scandal deepens as cases rocket by nearly 550% in just eight years

CASES of kids being groomed for sex have shot up by nearly 550 per cent in eight years, figures show.

In 2016, there were 1,157 reported cases of sexual grooming of children in England and Wales.

Cases of kids being groomed for sex have shot up by nearly 550 per cent in just 8 years PASir Keir Starmer is facing renewed calls for a national inquiry[/caption]

But by last June, the latest data available, the number was 7,479 — a 546 per cent increase.

The Home Office figures...