Excerpt:
Female genital mutilation is rife in our community with more than 2,000 girls at risk of becoming victims to this illegal practice, claims Manchester police and crime commissioner Tony Lloyd.
Although FGM is against the law, an estimated 6,500 girls are subjected to the 'barbaric' practice each year in the UK, with Greater Manchester identified as one of six hotspots.
PCC Lloyd, who has made tackling FGM one of his priorities and has backed a campaign to teach children in schools about the risks, said it was 'tantamount to child abuse'.