Tributes have been paid to Durham graduate Andrew Norfolk, the award-winning journalist who exposed the Rotherham grooming gang scandal in the UK.
Andrew, of our College of St Hild and St Bede, studied English Language and Literature with us between 1984 and 1987, followed by a postgraduate certificate in education (PGCE).
He played hockey whilst at Durham and edited the University’s student newspaper, Palatinate.
After graduating, he went on to work as a reporter with the Scarborough Evening News in 1989 and later became a journalist on national UK newspaper The Times.
In 2011 Andrew investigated the sexual exploitation of teenage girls by gangs of men of Pakistani heritage after a growing number of prosecutions across the country.
This led to an inquiry into child sexual exploitation in the south Yorkshire town of Rotherham where it was estimated that around 1,400 children were sexually exploited over a 16-year period.
Andrew won the Paul Foot Award and Orwell Prize for his groundbreaking work with The Times and was also named 2014 Journalist of the Year.
UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer was among those to pay tribute to Andrew, saying that he had been "absolutely integral" in helping to change the law so more grooming gang members could be convicted.
Sir Keir told The Times: "He wasn't just an incredibly talented reporter, at The Times and elsewhere, he was driven by the desire to call our attention to injustice and protect the most vulnerable.
"His passion for supporting the victims of grooming gangs shone through, and he was absolutely integral to making sure we could change the rules to increase convictions of the vile perpetrators."
Our Vice-Chancellor, Professor Karen O’Brien, said: “We are deeply proud of Andrew Norfolk, a distinguished Durham graduate whose fearless journalism gave voice to the voiceless and helped to bring about real and lasting change.
“Andrew’s unwavering commitment to truth, justice and protecting the vulnerable reflects the very best of the values we hold dear at Durham.
“His legacy will continue to inspire generations of our students and alumni.”
Andrew died aged 60 on 8 May, 2025, following a period of ill health.
/prod01/prodbucket01/media/durham-university/central-news-and-events-images/83431-1920X290.jpg)