Child-protection campaigner and abuse survivor Chris Wild told BBC Politics London that levels of child grooming in the capital are “more catastrophic” than anywhere else in the country, blaming poor data-sharing and under-funded services for masking the scale of exploitation. Wild, who has spent a decade working with vulnerable children, said gangs are targeting youngsters for drug dealing, prostitution and other criminal activity. His comments echo findings in a review led by Baroness Louise Casey, which highlighted a “mismatch” between how the Metropolitan Police and local authorities record abuse. The Met logged 2.77 contact child sexual abuse cases per 1,000 children, while boroughs recorded just 1.3 child-in-need assessments for sexual exploitation and 1.79 for sexual abuse, suggesting that significant numbers of cases may be slipping through the cracks. The Metropolitan Police acknowledged that “too many victims, particularly young girls, were let down” and said it is overhauling data collection to provide a fuller picture of risk. The Home Office said it has accepted all of Casey’s recommendations and is rolling out what it described as the largest package of measures to tackle child sexual abuse, emphasising that responsibility lies with perpetrators rather than victims.