Named Journalist of the Year at the 2014 British Press Awards, Andrew Norfolk talks about his investigation into the widespread sexual exploitation of teenage girls in Northern England.

Andrew’s persistent investigation uncovered the appalling sexual exploitation of young girls by organised gangs in Northern England and the Midlands. His investigation resulted in a massive increase in prosecutions, Government-ordered inquiries and a new national action plan on child sexual exploitation giving scores of vulnerable young girls’ greater protection from grooming. Andrew talks here about his investigation, its impact and what motivates his work.

What was the key to the success of your investigation?

Being given the freedom to focus solely on one investigation for several months before we published our first article in January 2011 allowed me to build a weight of evidence that added hugely to its initial impact. Instead of then moving on to another story, I was told to continue the investigation. That has enabled us to publish a further series of exclusives that have kept punching home the message that what was happening was a) horrific and b) preventable.

Your investigation has taken years. What were the biggest challenges?

Initially, finding anyone in authority who was prepared to speak about this, on or off the record. The same terror of venturing into a cultural minefield that allowed the crime model to plant such deep roots in communities across northern England and the Midlands was evident in the reluctance of child-protection authorities even to discuss the issue. The ongoing challenge has been to write about such bleak, grim matters in a way that keeps readers engaged.

What has been the most rewarding part of unearthing the scandal for you?

By giving a voice to some of the most invisible children in British society, The Times has changed the way this country tackles such crimes. Our stories prompted two Government-ordered inquiries, a Parliamentary inquiry and a new national action plan on child sexual exploitation. Police forces, the Crown Prosecution Service and local authorities have been forced to transform their approach to street-grooming offences, leading to extra resources, improved training for frontline staff and an explosion in the number of investigations and prosecutions. The Government has also ordered a sweeping review of protection for young residents of children’s homes.

What other moments in your career have given you similar satisfaction to this?

None.