The Metropolitan Police is only investigating "tens of cases" amid a wide-ranging child sex abuse gangs probe in London - despite finding 9,000 historic cases just weeks ago.
Met Commissioner Sir Mark Rowley told the London Assembly on Thursday that though the 9,000 cases were identified as potentially falling into the broad definition of "grooming gangs", upon a further review of 2,200 of them, just 1,200 remained in scope.
During the meeting, he gave details about the nationwide NCA review of child exploitation cases announced a few days ago.
Sir Mark said the 9,000 cases identified included any case with two or more suspects and at least one victim.
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Sir Mark also warned the public not to use "grooming gangs" as a catch-all phrase because cases often include abuse within families and institutions, as well as online.
He said using "grooming gangs" too broadly was a misinterpretation, because the audit covered more than just the "public understanding" of rape gang abuse.
The commissioner said that once initial assessments were completed, the force expected "maybe 2,000 or 3,000 cases" to pass the remit for reinvestigation.
However, he stressed this would be a mix of offences - not just grooming gangs.
Sir Sadiq Khan has been embroiled in a scandal surrounding his treatment of grooming gang victims
|PA
He added also said the ethnicities of suspects involved in the cases caried and were "reflective of the diversity we see in the city".
He added: "We do not see the typology reported elsewhere where there have been cases of offending committed by groups of Pakistani men on white British children being the sole or majority case."
It is understood that the Met records around 2,000 sexual offences every month, half of which involve child sexual abuse.
As a result, to investigate ongoing crimes as well as historic ones would require extra funding and specialist support, according to Sir Mark.
He said: "It is important for us to use precise language and consider its impact on victims and public understanding.
GROOMING GANGS SCANDAL - READ MORE:
Sir Mark Rowley spoke to the London Assembly about ongoing investigations into grooming gangs in London
|PA
"There is too much ready reach to simplistic analysis which risks misleading communities."
The commissioner's comments were made during a meeting which also saw London Mayor Sir Sadiq Khan accused of "taking the mickey" out of victims by previously stating there was "no indication of grooming gangs" taking place in the city.
Susan Hall, Conservative group leader, said: "In January, I asked if we had grooming gangs in London.
"You dismissed my question by pretending you didn't know what I meant."
In response, Sir Sadiq clarified "what is meant by grooming gangs" according to the national inquiry.
He insisted that although London had "issues in relation to child sexual exploitation", these cases were different to others in England.
The Mayor said: "I've led efforts to strengthen the protection of children and those exploited bu abuse and exploitation."
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