PM pays tribute after death of former Harrogate head boy who exposed Rotherham grooming gangs scandal

The Prime Minister has paid fulsome tribute after the passing of a highly respected investigative journalist for The Times and former head boy at a Harrogate school who played a key role in exposing grooming gangs.

Sir Keir Starmer said Andrew Norfolk, who died after collapsing before a routine medical examination on May 8 aged 60, was “absolutely integral” in helping to change the law so more grooming gang members could be convicted.

Born on January 8, 1965, when Andrew was 11 his father was appointed headmaster of Ashville College, the independent school in Harrogate.

The young Andrew excelled at sport, especially at hockey.

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Brilliant ex-Harrogate reporter Andrew Norfolk with the Orwell Prize - Sir Keir Starmer said Mr Norfolk had been “absolutely integral” in helping to change the law so more grooming gang members could be convicted. (Picture contributed)placeholder image
Brilliant ex-Harrogate reporter Andrew Norfolk with the Orwell Prize - Sir Keir Starmer said Mr Norfolk had been “absolutely integral” in helping to change the law so more grooming gang members could be convicted. (Picture contributed)

He studied English at Durham University and joined The Scarborough Evening News in 1989.

He then moved on to The Yorkshire Post in 1995.

Among his many journalistic achievements was his award-winning reporting of a corruption scandal at Doncaster council which led to him being recruited by The Times in 2000.

Norfolk became chief investigative reporter of The Times in 2012.

He later investigated the scandal of abuse at some of the UK’s leading boarding schools and wrote an exposé about a Qatari-controlled British bank that was providing financial services to Islamist extremist-linked groups and charities.

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In 2013, Norfolk received the Orwell prize for Journalism after four years of investigative journalism had exposed a scandal of negligence by police and social services, leading to many hundreds, if not thousands, of vulnerable young girls being raped by a ring of grooming gangs of Pakistani heritage.

His incredible work led to an inquiry into child sexual exploitation in Rotherham, which covered the period 1997 to 2013 and made a “conservative estimate” that around 1,400 children were sexually exploited over 16 years.

Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer, who was Director of Public Prosecutions when the scandal was revealed, told The Times: “I am deeply sorry to hear of Andrew’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.

“My thoughts are with Andrew’s family, loved ones and friends."

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