Met Police uncovers 4,000 potential grooming gang cases as Sadiq Khan faces fresh scrutiny over London claims

Sir Sadiq Khan is facing fresh scrutiny over his previous claims about grooming gangs in London after the Met Police identified more than 4,000 potential child sexual exploitation cases that could now be reopened.

The findings, first revealed by The Telegraph, come after Scotland Yard examined around 12,000 reports of alleged child sexual exploitation dating back to 2010.

Roughly one in three cases now flagged for potential reinvestigation after police or the Crown Prosecution Service previously decided to take no further action.

Sir Sadiq previously insisted there was "no indication" grooming gangs were operating in the capital.

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Appearing before the London Assembly Police and Crime Committee in January 2025, the Mayor repeatedly declined to answer questions from Conservative member Susan Hall about the scale of grooming gangs in London.

When asked how many rape gangs were operating in the capital, Sir Sadiq repeatedly asked Ms Hall to clarify what she meant.

At a later committee session, he said: "My understanding from speaking to the police, and she will appreciate, I have done on a regular basis, is and I choose my words carefully for the reasons she will understand there are no reported cases and also no indication of the grooming gangs that she is concerned about in London."

His comments prompted accusations of a cover-up, with victims claiming the Mayor was "gaslighting" them.

The review follows Baroness Casey's landmark report into group-based child sexual exploitation, which concluded the criminal justice system had failed victims for decades.

Her recommendations led to the National Crime Agency launching Operation Beaconport, a nationwide review of child sexual exploitation cases that may have been closed prematurely.

The Metropolitan Police has now referred all 4,000 flagged cases to the NCA, which is expected to decide within weeks how many should be formally reopened.

In areas such as South Yorkshire and Greater Manchester, perpetrators in high-profile grooming gang cases have predominantly been Pakistani Muslim men.

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However, London's cases are understood to involve a broader range of offender backgrounds and include intrafamilial abuse, online exploitation and in-person offending.

Ms Hall described the findings as "utterly disgraceful".

"It has been like getting blood out of a stone," she said.

The Conservative London Assembly member said the scale of the review should force people to confront the extent of the abuse.

"The resistance I have encountered has been totally unacceptable and when you look at the number of cases being reviewed you have to stop and think that is 4,000 young girls raped and sexually abused and you have to think how dreadful that is."

A spokesman for Sir Sadiq rejected any suggestion of a cover-up, saying the Mayor had welcomed the review and had "been clear we must leave no stone unturned".

City Hall also pointed to £2.4million announced last November to fund specialist support services for survivors of child sexual exploitation.

Met Commissioner Sir Mark Rowley has warned the force will require additional officers and resources to carry out any fresh investigations, noting officers already deal with around 2,000 sexual offences every month.

Deputy Assistant Commissioner Kevin Southworth urged victims and survivors to come forward, saying they "will be listened to and supported".

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