Times reporter who exposed grooming gangs dies aged 60

Andrew Norfolk, the former Times journalist who exposed the Rotherham grooming gang scandal, has died aged 60.

Norfolk, an award-winning reporter, died on 8 May after suffering ill health, the newspaper announced on Thursday.

Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer led the tributes saying Norfolk had been "absolutely integral" in helping to change the law so more grooming gang members could be convicted.

His reporting in 2011 revealed a pattern of mainly white teenage girls being groomed by gangs of men of Pakistani heritage after a growing number of prosecutions across the country.

It led to an inquiry into child sexual exploitation in the south Yorkshire town dating from 1997 to 2013.

It was estimated that around 1,400 children were sexually exploited over a 16 year period.

Sir Keir, who was director of public prosecutions at the time, told The Times he was "deeply sorry" to hear of Norfolk's death.

"He wasn't just an incredibly talented reporter, at The Times and elsewhere, he was driven by the desire to call our attention to injustice and protect the most vulnerable," the prime minister said.

"His passion for supporting the victims of grooming gangs shone through, and he was absolutely integral to making sure we could change the rules to increase convictions of the vile perpetrators."

The prime minister said he hoped "the difference he made to people's lives are a comfort" to his family and loved ones.

Tony Gallagher, the editor of The Times, said Norfolk was "without doubt, one of the greatest investigative reporters of our or any age.

"His tireless work exposing the evils of the predominantly Asian grooming gangs in and around towns in the north of England led to long overdue acknowledgement of the crimes, after the people who had been in a position to put a stop to it for years chose to look the other way."

Norfolk studied English at Durham University, editing the university paper while also playing for the hockey team.

After graduating he went on to work as a reporter with the Scarborough Evening News in 1989.

He won the Paul Foot Award and Orwell Prize for his later groundbreaking work with the Times, and was also named 2014 Journalist of the Year.

Ian Hislop, editor of Private Eye, which runs the Paul Foot Award, described him as "a terrific journalist", adding Norfolk won the prize in 2012 for "a really important story that is still in the news today."

The Rotherham MP who campaigned on grooming gangs, Sarah Champion, said he was "just the bravest and most principled person I have ever known.

"His drive for the truth is a rare and precious thing, and I hope others follow in his footsteps, because we really need them right now."