Politics Live: Keir Starmer tells forces 'put bobbies on the beat or lose cash'

Home Secretary Yvette Cooper has insisted five local grooming gang inquiries will go ahead.

Home Office minister Jess Phillips said that “following feedback” the Government would adopt a “flexible approach” so some of the £5 million announced for inquiries could be used on other projects linked to grooming gangs.

Ms Cooper told LBC: "We're still going ahead. The framework is being drawn up at the moment.

"There's been, sadly, a lot of, I think, party political misinformation about this.

"What we should be doing is all working together to support victims and survivors of these really vile crimes.

"What we’re also doing is we're putting in place stronger measures. We're strengthening the law into these gangs, and we're also increasing police investigations, which is the most important thing of all, because, frankly, these perpetrators should be behind bars, and if you don't get the police investigations in place, that won't happen.

"That is the best way to get people justice and to keep communities safe."