A list of sexual exploitation “hotspots” in Newcastle compiled by social services has leaked online, prompting fears the data could be used by paedophiles to target vulnerable young people.
The document, seen by the Guardian, names branches of various national chain restaurants, takeaways, metro stations and gyms in Newcastle.
Police are contacting the businesses and premises named on the list, which was compiled by the Newcastle Safeguarding Children Board as part of an intelligence-sharing exercise, to inform them about the data breach.
The list’s authors also name several parks that are “frequented by young people, including those absent or missing”. A number of fast-food outlets are said to be popular with missing children “late evening and through the night”.
The list, which was supposed to remain confidential, comes from an intelligence report which aims to prevent grooming and child sexual exploitation.
Northumbria police and Newcastle city council said they were aware the list was circulating online.
The police force said: “These particular premises and public ‘hotspots’ have been identified as potential vulnerable areas for these types of crimes and together with local authorities we aim to ensure crime prevention and safeguarding policing are put in place.
“Officers will be contacting these, and other, locations to discuss how we can work with communities to keep the public safe and protected.”
Det Supt Mick Paterson, responsible for safeguarding, said: “The prevention of sexual exploitation is a top priority for Northumbria police and we work tirelessly with local authorities to develop our relationships within the community to ensure public safety.
“Community engagement and identifying ‘hotspots’ are two of the forms of policing we use to maximise the safeguarding of potential victims.”
An investigation will be carried out into how part of the document got into the public domain. It was compiled in August, the month that a grooming gang made up of 17 men and a woman was convicted following a series of trials at Newcastle crown court.
Details that could not be reported until the end of the trials emerged of vulnerable girls being given drink and drugs at parties in the city’s West End and then used for sex.
Four men were convicted of exploiting Tyneside girls as young as 13 in a separate trial earlier this month.
A representative of one of the businesses on the list said they were frantically trying to find out how they ended up being described as an exploitation hotspot, and had called police on Thursday morning for more information.