Five survivors of grooming, trafficking and sexual exploitation by drug gangs across Britain have accused police of failing to take their abuse seriously, saying officers were more focused on drug offences and gathering intelligence on gangs than on protecting them. Their accounts feature in a new BBC Two documentary, "Britain's Forgotten Girls", which highlights how such exploitation has persisted for two decades despite repeated warnings to the authorities, leaving thousands of children still at risk today.

Among the women, Christine was groomed from the age of 13 after moving from London to Coventry, and was sexually and physically abused for more than eight years, including a fractured rib, while social services and police allegedly failed to intervene meaningfully. Violet, exploited by a south London gang from age 13, said police told her they had "bigger fish to fry" when she asked about her rape case, which was later closed without reaching court, though she received Criminal Injuries Compensation. Holly, taken into care aged 12, was made to sell drugs and was repeatedly sexually assaulted by gang members in Manchester until she was 16. The documentary airs on BBC Two tonight at 9pm.