A POLICE investigation into reports of teenagers being offered cash in exchange for sexual favours in Sedgley has been criticised by West Midlands MEP Bill Etheridge.

A driver allegedly pulled up alongside a 13-year-old girl and her friends in Westfield Road at around 6.30pm on Saturday, June 2.

Mr Etheridge claims the teens were offered £50 each for sexual favours and said despite it being reported to cops that evening, it apparently took officers 50 hours to visit the first girl.

The UKIP Euro MP was incensed that it had taken a week for officers to see all three girls, adding: "Understaffed? Maybe but they responded to an attempted car break in Saturday night within one hour. Where are their priorities?"

A similar incident took place on May 19 in Mons Hill, Woodsetton, where a 14-year-old girl told police she was approached by a man in a car.

It is believed he pulled up alongside her and asked her to get inside, she refused and ran away.

The girl was not injured and police say it is currently "unclear what the motive for the assault was", adding: "She was understandably distressed by what happened."

A spokesman for West Midlands Police said: "Uniform and plain-clothes officers have been patrolling the area to reassure the public and to look out for any suspicious activity.

"Clearly incidents like this are worrying and officers have conducted an extensive CCTV trawl of the area."

Anyone who witnessed the incidents and has not yet spoken to police are urged to get in touch by calling 101, quoting log number 2299 of 2 June or 2162 of 19 May.