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Grooming gangs victim Ellie-Ann Reynolds blasted Labour's attempt at a national inquiry into the scandal saying it was "rigged from the start". She slammed the Home Office for "gaslighting and manipulating" survivors in what was another day of shame for the government.

Her stark warning came as Nigel Farage declared the current inquiry "dead in the water" and called for Parliament to set up its own probe into group-based sex abuse. Mr Farage also warned there was "strong evidence that it's still continuing", saying the crisis had been brushed aside by politicians, police and councils afraid of being branded racist.

He suggested a joint initiative by both MPs and Lords could lead to the launch of a special commission into the decades-long scandal.

Describing it as a "stain on Britain", the Reform UK leader singled out London as the "last major grooming gang scandal to come to light" following a bombshell investigation by the Daily Express.

Our probe persuaded the Metropolitan Police to review 9,000 potential grooming gang cases in the capital after Sadiq Khan said there were none.

Ms Reynolds branded the London Mayor a "liar" and demanded he step down.

Asked at a press conference if Mr Khan had "failed grooming gang victims", Mr Farage replied: "Has he failed grooming gang victims? Yes, he's been denying that there's going on in London. The Met have been denying there's grooming going on in London.

"I can tell you today somebody in this room has spoken to social services in London who have openly said there are grooming gangs in London.

"And of course it's more difficult to spot a particular type of grooming gang in central London than it is in Rotherham just by the sheer size of the city, by the different communities that live in this city.

"Maybe London is the last great grooming gang scandal to be uncovered and it looks like we're very, very close to that."

Mr Farage also revealed plans to ask Commons Speaker Sir Lindsay Hoyle and Home Affairs chair Dame Karen Bradley to launch a cross-party parliamentary inquiry with the power to summon witnesses under oath.

He said: "It will happen in the full glare of media and it won't take years to conclude. It will take many weeks, it might take a couple of months, but so be it.

"And it will have the power to put in the Palace of Westminster those who are suspected of colluding in the cover-up of one of the most shameful stories in the history of our islands. And I'll be putting all of that to the Speaker tomorrow and I hope and expect to get other figures in public life to come out and support this idea. It will happen quickly, let's make it happen."

Survivor Ellie-Ann Reynolds, who quit the Government's victims' panel, joined Mr Farage at the London event and blasted the current inquiry as "rigged from the start".

She said: "We were being told what questions to ask and when to ask them. They already had the terms of reference drafted. We were there to help them with the terms of reference.

"I think at this point now I have no faith whatsoever. I had one per cent and [Sir Keir Starmer] and Jess Phillips have absolutely crushed it. I would not touch that inquiry today with a ten-foot bargepole."

She is one of five women to have recently quit the inquiry's victims and survivors liaison panel.

Hitting out at the "very controlling" nature of the Government's stalled probe, she told reporters at a press conference that she had "no faith" in ministers.

Speaking exclusively to this newspaper she said: "Sadiq Khan's a liar as well and I think that he should be stepping down. I think it was very bizarre of him to try and cover up a mass failing in London as well."

Sir Keir Starmer bowed to intense pressure from Kemi Badenoch and Mr Farage in June to implement a full national inquiry into grooming gangs.

But more than four months on, the Home Office has still to appoint anyone to lead the probe.

Government insiders have admitted it could take months yet to find someone to chair the inquiry.

Ex-police officer Jim Gamble and Annie Hudson, a former senior social worker, have both withdrawn as leading candidates to chair the probe.

The inquiry was also thrown into disarray after the departure of five women from the victims liaison panel.

Four of the women who quit, including Ms Reynolds, said they would be prepared to return if safeguarding minister Jess Phillips resigns from Government.

But five of those still on the advisory panel have said they would only stay if Ms Phillips remained in post.

There were originally around 30 survivors on the panel.

Asked about safeguarding minister Jess Phillips, Ms Reynolds said: "I do think she should stand down and I do think she is unfit for her role, she can't protect us and that was what she was put there for."

Labour Party chairwoman Anna Turley said: "The exploitation of children by grooming gangs is an appalling scandal and this Labour Government is determined to deliver justice for the survivors.

"As the Prime Minister and Home Secretary promised the survivors, the scope of the inquiry will not change.

"It will examine the ethnicity and religion of offenders, have full powers to compel witnesses and uncover the truth.

"While the Tories failed to act as this crisis was unfolding, and Reform shout from the sidelines, this Labour Government is getting on with the job of delivering a national inquiry: putting survivors at the heart of the process and holding the institutions that failed them to account."