AN 81-YEAR-OLD man and his two sons were yesterday questioned by police investigating child sex exploitation after a raid on their Oxford guest house.

More than 60 police officers were involved in the swoop on the Nanford Guest House in East Oxford early yesterday morning. And three of the Iffley Road’s six hotel properties were closed last night following an inspection by Oxford City Council’s Environmental Health team.

The men, aged 81, 49, and 48, were each arrested at the budget bed-and-breakfast on suspicion of being a landlord letting a premise for use as a brothel, causing or inciting child prostitution for gain, and encouraging or assisting in an offence believing it will be committed, namely rape and causing child prostitution.

It comes after seven members of a grooming gang were last month convicted at the Old Bailey in London of drugging, raping, and sex trafficking vulnerable girls as young as 11.

The four-month trial came after police launched Operation Bullfinch and it heard underage girls were taken to the Nanford, given alcohol and drugs, and made to have sex with men.

Guest house owner Jeremiah Cronin, 81, was arrested in the 7.50am raid alongside his sons Bartholomew, 49, and John Cronin, 48. Jeremiah was later released on bail until this morning.

The other two were last night still in police custody.

Superintendent Christian Bunt, Oxford area commander, yesterday said child sex exploitation was the force’s number one focus.

And he said yesterday’s raid had been a “significant” operation planned over many weeks.

He said evidence had come up in the trial and the guest house owners needed to answer questions about what they knew. But he said: “Information had come out as part of the Bullfinch investigation in regard to the Nanford and for legal reasons it wouldn’t have been appropriate to take action while the trial was ongoing.”

Oxfordshire Fire and Rescue and the Immigration Service also took part in the raid, and police officers also searched a property in Sunningwell Road, South Oxford.

The unnamed child sex victim known as Girl 3 was raped by Bassam Karrrar at the budget hotel in 2006. A guest in a neighbouring room heard the attack and called the police. A 47-year-old Iffley Road resident yesterday said: “We are horrified it has been happening on our doorstep.”

Dave Clarke, of Dave Clarke Motorcycles in Denmark Street, said: “It’s got bad publicity for years and years but people still turn up because it’s in a prime location.”

City council spokesman Louisa Dean said 133 and 135 Iffley Road had been shut until repairs were made to dangerous electrics and unsafe boilers. And she said number 141 would also be closed due to an unsafe boiler.