Victims say former Rotherham council chiefs who failed to tackle child sex grooming on their watch, such as Roger Stone (pictured with Dolly Parton), should be stripped of honours . Former council chiefs who failed to tackle child sex grooming on their watch should be stripped of their honours, say victims and campaigners. They warn that letting the ex-officials keep their awards will ‘bring shame’ on the system. Those criticised over the Rotherham scandal, in which horrific abuse was ignored, include former council leader Roger Stone OBE and ex-children’s services and education heads Joyce Thacker OBE and Diane Billups MBE. Former South Yorkshire chief constable Meredydd Hughes CBE has also come under fire for claiming not to know about the scale of child grooming in Rotherham. Campaigning MP Simon Danczuk, a member of Parliament’s Communities and Local Government Committee which will grill Mr Stone today, said: ‘It brings shame on the honours system if these awards are not removed. ‘If these people have any decency, they will give back their honours. These people have badly let down vulnerable young girls and turned a blind eye to the most horrendous abuse.’ The council and police in Rotherham were savaged in two reports by independent expert Professor Alexis Jay and Home Office official Louise Casey. At least 1,400 girls in the town were exploited over 16 years by gangs of mainly Pakistani men. Local Labour MP Sarah Champion said the number may be as high as 2,000 as more young women are coming forward all the time. David Greenwood, a solicitor representing 40 of the victims, said: ‘They [the officials] have been shown in evidence-based reports to have been asleep on the job. It undermines the integrity of the system if these people retain their awards. They should be forced to give them up.’ According to Mrs Casey, the establishment in Rotherham ignored child sexual exploitation due to ‘misplaced political correctness’. Police also saw victims as ‘little slags’, said one person interviewed for her report. Mrs Casey highlighted examples including an officer who told one victim: ‘Don’t worry – you aren’t the first girl to be raped by XX and you won’t be the last.’ One of the victims in Rotherham, known as Jessica, said: ‘It is ridiculous that these people still have their honours. How can they keep them when they let 2,000 girls down?’ Senior officials who have apologised over the Oxford abuse scandal, in which at least 300 girls were groomed, also hold honours. Oxfordshire County Council chief executive Joanna Simons has a CBE, while Thames Valley chief constable Sara Thornton was awarded a CBE and Queen’s Policing Medal. Honours can be removed from those who damage the ‘system’s reputation’. Any decision has to be taken by the Honours Forfeiture Committee, whose recommendation is sent to the Queen for final approval. A Government spokesman said: ‘Forfeiture action is confidential and we cannot comment on whether or not specific cases are being considered.’ Mr Stone, Mr Hughes and Mrs Thacker were unavailable for comment. Mrs Billups said: ‘I know in my heart what I did and I know why I got the MBE and what I gave for it.’ Criticised: Joyce Thacker OBE was Rotherham’s director of children’s services from 2008 to 2014 . JOYCE THACKER OBE: Rotherham’s director of children’s services, 2008-2014.Several abused girls were known to her team for months before any action was taken. ROGER STONE OBE: Leader of Rotherham Council, 2003-2014.Described in Louise Casey’s report as a ‘bully’ who presided over a ‘macho culture’. MEREDYDD HUGHES CBE: South Yorkshire Chief Constable, 2004-11. Savaged by Home Affairs Committee after admitting he had ‘singularly failed’ victims. DIANE BILLUPS MBE: Executive director of education at Rotherham, 2001-2005. Accused of trying to force a researcher to remove sections of a report on child exploitation. JOANNA SIMONS CBE: Chief executive of Oxfordshire County Council since 2005. Presided over ‘systematic failure’ which led to more than 300 girls becoming victims, according to the NSPCC charity. SARA THORNTON CBE: Outgoing Chief Constable of Thames Valley Police. After the publication of last week’s damning report into child sexual exploitation in Oxfordshire, she said: ‘We didn’t appreciate the issues of CSE.’
Campaigners say ex-officials  who failed to act should lose OBEs and MBEs . Several Rotherham Council chiefs were criticised over sex abuse scandal . MP Simon Danczuk said 'If these people have any decency, they will give back their honours'