A NATIONAL police group is being set up to gather information for child sex investigations of public figures and institutions like schools and care homes, senior officers revealed yesterday.

All 43 police forces in England and Wales, as well as those in Scotland and Northern Ireland, have been asked for details of their ongoing inquiries by the new body, which is set to meet for the first time in September.

The Association of Chief Police Officers has asked leading officers and senior investigators to sit on the group, which could share information between forces where inquiries overlap.

The group will not leading investigations itself but will gather information on inquiries involving well-known figures like celebrities and elected officials and organisations like schools, hospitals, children’s homes and parliaments.

Welcoming the announcement, children’s charity Barnardo’s head Javed Khan said: “As yet another celebrity is exposed as a paedophile, we ask how many more public figures were involved in these awful crimes against children.”