A young people's charity will widen its services to children as young as 11 who have suffered sexual exploitation following a recent grant.

Up to now, Oxfordshire-based charity Clean Slate aided children from the age of 16, however, with the increase in need from younger children, the additional funds will allow it to expand its support.

Platform Housing Group, a social landlord, is the provider of the grant to the charity's expansion project, Believe.

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The funds were sourced from the Community Chest, a pool for community charities, clubs, and other not-for-profit organisations benefitting Platform's customers.

Anji Hall, counsellor and founder of Clean Slate, said: "We are delighted to have been awarded this grant from Platform Housing Group.

"These much-needed funds will help us to do this.

"Incidents of domestic abuse against teenagers is on the increase, and this can be attributed to the national picture of young men using the Internet to access porn, which is often depicted using violence against women."

The grant will facilitate the creation of support groups for children and provide the counsellors with additional training.

The charity will also work with nearby schools to offer education about abuse and develop a training course for children to recognise coercive control.

Marion Duffy, chief operations officer at Platform, said: "The emotional support offered by the Believe project to young girls will be invaluable for their sustained and long-term mental health."

According to Thames Valley Police crime figures, more than 50 per cent of reported crimes in the county involve violence and sexual crimes.