MILLIONS in extra funding is needed to cope with the rising problem of child sex exploitation across Oxfordshire.

County council leader Ian Hudspeth said they would be asking the Government if more money was available to fight “this evil crime”.

He said the issue would remain a top priority amid concerns about a strain on resources.

His comments came after a serious case review detailed how past failings in the police and social services over the Bullfinch scandal had left six girls subject to years of abuse from seven men in Oxford.

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The report also revealed 373 children were suspected to have been victims of abuse in the last 15 years.

And today the head of children’s services will tell a watchdog committee that demand is outstripping resources by millions of pounds.

It has sparked fears that the authority’s ability to tackle child sexual exploitation could be hampered by continuing demand for savings amid future Government cuts.

Yesterday Mr Hudspeth said that if the county council continued to overspend on children’s services it could seek help from the Government, citing “exceptional circumstances”.

He said: “There will be challenges coming up in the future but our priority will continue to be stamping out this evil crime.

“As part of that it is important we look into all allegations and we will work with the police to make sure perpetrators are brought to justice.

“If that puts a significant strain on our budget, then we will talk to the Government to see if further funding can be provided.

“This is not just a priority in Oxfordshire, it is a national issue and we must send strong signals that child sexual exploitation will not be tolerated.”

The serious case review by Alan Bedford – released earlier this month – found that authorities had failed to prevent the grooming and abuse of young girls, despite countless warning signs.

Former directors who were interviewed said the council’s children’s service had been “the poor relation in terms of resources”

while the abuse was taking place.

More than £8m has since been spent on tackling child sexual exploitation, the council said, and a multi-agency specialist unit created for the whole county.

Since November 2012, the Kingfisher unit - which includes social workers, police, council officers, health professionals and charity workers - has worked with 255 children.

And later this year the Multi-Agency Safeguarding Hub is set to start handling referrals to adult social care. 

The county council has also said tackling “cold cases” was important.

While Thames Valley Police is expected to handle historical investigations, the Kingfisher unit is still expected to play a “central”

role, the council said.

The council said that because of increased awareness of child sexual exploitation, it had seen a 24 per cent increase in referrals to child protection services and a 10 per cent increase in children placed in protection plans and being taken into care.

After a child is referred to children’s services, it can arrange for them to be placed in secure accommodation if they are at risk of harm, or are placing others at risk.

Council spokesman Paul Smith said this usually costs £5,000 per week but added that the main reason for overspending in the service was the overall rise in numbers of children entering care.

Oxford East MP Andrew Smith said: “The serious case review referred to more than 300 children at risk in Oxfordshire, meaning Bullfinch was just the tip of the iceberg. The public needs to be assured that resources are in place to address the wider challenges and afford the protection that has to be given.”

Between 2010-2018 the county council said it has had to find £285m of savings, due to reductions in funding.

Despite this it has budgeted to increase the children’s social services budget from £47.4m to £52.7m this year, with £25m dedicated to safeguarding.

But children’s services is still forecast to have overspent by £7m this financial year.

Director Jim Leivers said it was due to significant increases and will warn today that the scale of historical cases of child abuse presents a “challenge to resources”.

Committee chairman and opposition leader Liz Brighouse said more funding from the Government was needed to protect safeguarding services.

She said: “The costs are colossal, but it has got to be done.”

Thames Valley Police has said it faces £20m of cuts by 2018.

The force has invested £3.5m in resources for tackling child sexual exploitation since 2011.

The mother of Girl 4, who was sexually abused by the Bullfinch gang, said: “We wouldn’t need any of these changes if people had been doing their jobs properly in the first place.”