A CHILD sex investigation into a Bolton funfair firm has come to an end, police have confirmed.

Officers from the Bolton's Child Sexual Exploitation Unit detained five men in February in connection with an investigation into Northwest Funfairs, based at Showmans Park in Morris Street, Bolton.

But now, Greater Manchester Police have confirmed the five men have had their bail cancelled, are no longer suspects and that no further action will be taken against them.

Senior investigating officer Detective Inspector Daniel Brophy said: "There is no evidence to take the investigation any further.

"They have been released with no further action."

Morning raids, including one at Morris Street, led to two men aged 21 and three others aged 22, 49 and 54 being taken into custody in Bolton, Salford and Wigan.

All the men were held on suspicion of causing or inciting a child to engage in sexual activity and human trafficking.

Detective Superintendent Joanne Rawlinson of GMP’s Public Protection Division said at the time: "We have made these arrests as a result of a large scale investigation into the sexual exploitation of children across the North West."

Northwest Fun Fairs declined to comment following the news that the investigation had come to an end.

In the past the firm has held funfairs at Queens Park in Spa Road and in Cheadle Square in Bolton town centre.

The firm was due to run a 10-day long Valentine's Family Funfair in Widnes, Cheshire, the day after the arrests in February, but the attraction was cancelled after the police action.