"The descriptions we have come across in this have been respectable married men and men linked by family rather than just criminality."

And the Krays loved their Mum and hob-nobbed with celebrities, I don't know what this tells us more broadly about English culture however? As for family links, as far as I'm aware that's not exactly uncommon in gang culture, particularly in more deprived areas where petty crime can become the norm among groups who have been otherwise disenfranchised from fulfilling the economic and material aspirations of society at large.

A quite blunt response to "why do they do it" is possibly "because they can" and this is where I see the particular method (not crime type) of on-street grooming coming in. It seems clear enough to me, from what I've read on the topic, that there is a general consensus among commentators (including moderate and Muslim voices) that this has everything to do with a "culture of silence" or taboo that has arisen around crimes that have particular racial elements. And it is this taboo, which has led to a terrible failure to protect innocent children from systematic sexual exploitation over some decades buy a large network of very efficient sexual predators.

I don't know what can be done about this, other than to try to begin openly discussing it, without exercising prejudices, aggressive "knee-jerk" reactions, political agendas (be they left or right), without the wielding of personal axes and especially without the hurling of personal abuse. I actually think the girls being abused are worthy of this.

PS Mike, with respect, I'd prefer not have my views pigeonholed in a "my side" v's "your side" style standoff. As you may appreciate, particularly in respect of my last paragraph, my views are my own and do not belong to any perceived side in this umm 'debate'.