Shabir Ahmed, the ringleader of the Rochdale grooming gang who called himself 'Daddy', has been moved from his hostel in Accrington, Lancashire, after its location was shared on social media. The 73-year-old was released from prison earlier this month after serving 14 years of a 22-year sentence for rape and other sexual offences against girls as young as 13.
Relocation After Public Outcry
The revelation of the hostel address sparked local outrage, prompting Hyndburn MP Sarah Smith to demand his removal. 'Since discovering that Shabir Ahmed had been freed from custody into Hyndburn, I did everything in my power to get him removed. I can confirm that he has been moved,' Ms Smith said in a statement. She thanked the Ministry of Justice, the Home Office, and Lancashire Police for ensuring the outcome.
Ahmed, a former taxi driver, led a nine-man group convicted of abusing girls at Tasty Bites and another takeaway in Heywood from 2007. He was stripped of his British citizenship, leaving him with only Pakistani citizenship, but cannot currently be deported due to a 1971 law that protects certain Commonwealth citizens who arrived in the UK over 50 years ago.
Government Plans to Close Deportation Loophole
Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood has announced plans to amend the Immigration and Asylum Bill to eliminate immunity under the 1971 Immigration Act. However, she conceded that deportation requires Pakistan's consent. 'We are exploring every available option in this case, and that includes talking to the Pakistani authorities,' a spokesperson for Sir Keir Starmer said on Thursday.
Victims Minister Catherine Atkinson defended Mahmood's record, citing successful negotiations with Angola, Namibia, and the Democratic Republic of Congo over deportations. 'She threatened visa penalties... and four months later all three were co-operating, with flights off the ground,' Atkinson told BBC Radio 4's Today programme.
Pakistan Refuses to Accept Ahmed
Pakistan's Ministry of Foreign Affairs has rejected any responsibility. Tahir Andrabi, a representative, told the BBC: 'The matter in question is entirely an internal matter of the United Kingdom. The individual concerned is a British national who spent his entire adult life in the UK... The government of Pakistan has no connection whatsoever with this matter.'
Ahmed is subject to strict licence conditions, including 24-hour supervised accommodation and a ban from contacting victims or children. He is also on the sex offenders register for life. 'Public protection is our top priority,' a Ministry of Justice spokeswoman said. 'This offender is subject to the toughest supervision possible.'
MP Sarah Smith expressed disgust that Ahmed was placed in Hyndburn and called for a wider exclusion zone to keep him out of Lancashire and the North West. 'His release will bring back unimaginable trauma for the women whose lives were changed forever by his sickening crimes. They deserved to know that once he left prison, he would leave this country.'
