FIVE survivors of Rotherham grooming gangs have said they were also abused by local police officers at the time.

One woman told the BBC she was raped at the age of 12 by a serving officer in a marked car, who then threatened to return her to the gang if she did not comply.

“In a world where you were being abused so much, being raped once [by a police officer] was a lot easier than multiple rapes [by the gang] and I think he knew that,” she said.

Switalskis Solicitors gathered testimonies from 30 women abused by grooming gangs in Rotherham, as part of a civil case against South Yorkshire Police (SYP).

The BBC spoke to five of them. Only 17 have agreed to have their testimony given to police.

One woman, who reported abuse after being pressured into an illegal abortion by a grooming gang, says an officer who had raped her turned up to interview her.

She said the same officer went on to rip up her statement in front of her and threw it in the bin.

Another woman said she was raped by a police officer who deliberately targeted children in care like herself.

“He knew we wouldn’t be missed, he knew we wouldn’t be reported. He knew we wouldn’t be able to say anything. He knew that he had the upper hand,” she told the BBC.

SYP is investigating the actions of its own officers, overseen by the  Independent Office of Police Conduct (IOPC).

The watchdog confirmed three former officers had been arrested. A fourth accused man died in 2015.