THE police watchdog is investigating three former senior Greater Manchester Police officers and their involvement in a probe into child sexual exploitation.

The inquiry by the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) will focus on the supervision and handling of Operation Augusta in 2004.

Two of the officers have since retired and a third is currently working for another organisation.

Concerns were raised in January by the office of Greater Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham about the conduct and decision-making of some officers involved in the operation set after the death of Victoria Agoglia, 15, a girl under the care of Manchester City Council, who reported being raped and injected with heroin by a 50-year-old Asian man.

She died of a drugs overdose two months later on September 29 2003.

The police operation launched in response the year after identified at least 57 victims and 97 potential suspects, some involved with Victoria, and a "compelling picture of the systemic exploitation of looked-after children in the care system" was established by detectives.

But senior officers at GMP chose to under-resource the investigation, a report to Mr Burnham said, and a decision was made to close it down in 2005.

IOPC director of major investigations Steve Noonan: "This has been a lengthy but necessary process and it has taken some time to gather the information required to make a decision whether it was necessary to investigate and who should conduct the investigation.

"The mayoral review raised many questions about the actions of those involved in Operation Augusta.

"We have now decided it is necessary to investigate the individual conduct of these three former GMP officers who were all involved in either supervising or setting the direction of Operation Augusta.

"Though the content of the mayoral review has been analysed as part of our decision to begin an investigation, it was not a specific investigation into the actions of the officers involved.

"We now need to establish and examine all the available evidence.

"The investigation is in its early stages."

Mr Burnham has reacted to the investigation.

He said: “When I commissioned the independent review into child sexual exploitation, I wanted to send the clearest of messages to victims that supporting them is my top priority and that I won’t let the passage of time nor any other consideration be used as an excuse for not giving them the truth, justice and accountability that they deserve.

“Given the seriousness of the issues revealed by the review into Operation Augusta, it is important that they are properly investigated and that is why I welcome this decision by the Independent Office for Police Conduct.

"It is only through robust, impartial investigation that we can truly establish what happened at the time and ensure any mistakes are not repeated.

“Since 2005, there have been undoubted improvements in the investigation of child sexual abuse, not least in Greater Manchester. But we must never be complacent.

"There is more that we need to do to right the wrongs of the past and improve how we support people going forward.

"In Greater Manchester, we must have a zero tolerance approach to child sexual exploitation of any kind and an absolute determination to root it out wherever it is found.”