AN embattled police commissioner's deputy has quit as ministers ordered an early inspection into child protection services in Rotherham following a child abuse scandal.

Deputy South Yorkshire police and crime commissioner Tracey Cheetham announced she was resigning after a devastating report by the Scottish Government's former chief social worker adviser Professor Alexis Jay which uncovered widespread child sexual exploitation over 16 years.

Ms Cheetham said: "It is vital for people to have confidence in the office of police and crime commissioner and, with this in mind, I believe it would have been the right thing for Shaun Wright to resign."

Prime Minister David Cameron and his deputy Nick Clegg yesterday backed Home Secretary Theresa May's call for Mr Wright to quit because he was a senior councillor in Rotherham at the time of the allegations. Mr Wright has already quit the Labour Party.

Mr Cameron said because he was head of children's services, "the right decision would be to resign and take full responsibility for what happened."

Meanwhile, Education Secretary Nicky Morgan also announced that Ofsted would carry out an early inspection of child protection services in Rotherham.

● A South Yorkshire police constable Daniel Cookson, 27, based in Rotherham, yesterday appeared at Leeds Magistrates Court charged with causing a 15-year-old girl to engage in sexual activity.

He had been arrested in November, but his name was not released by the force until yesterday.

The police said there had been concern about his welfare.