Latest news with #NBPRESSLTD
Scottish Sun
13-07-2025
- Climate
- Scottish Sun
Revellers don fancy dress for booze-fuelled Otley Run as Brits to bask in 30C temps TODAY – but it won't last for long
The aim of the game is to have a drink in 17 pubs SUN-SATIONAL Revellers don fancy dress for booze-fuelled Otley Run as Brits to bask in 30C temps TODAY – but it won't last for long Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) REVELLERS have donned fancy dress for the Otley Run as the UK is set to bask in 30C temperatures. Cowgirls, union jack dresses and even cardboard ketchup bottles were spotted as boozy revellers took to the streets for a pub crawl with pals. Sign up for Scottish Sun newsletter Sign up 7 A group of cowgirls with matching fans to keep cool Credit: NB PRESS LTD 7 Fans and hats are a common sight during this pub crawl Credit: NB PRESS LTD 7 A lifeguard, Lorax, and a Statue of Liberty were among the costumes Credit: NB PRESS LTD 7 The aim is to have a drink at 17 pubs for the famous crawl Credit: NB PRESS LTD Some only donned a movie t-shirt for their costume, while multiple "devils" were also spotted as many had leftover horns from Halloween. The two-and-a-half-mile rite of passage happens multiple times a year. The historic Otley Run starts at Woodies pub in Far Headingley and finishes at The Dry Dock at the edge of the city centre. The aim of the game is to have a drink in each of the 17 pubs along the way. Participants begin at Woodies before swilling snifters at 15 other watering holes during the challenge, which takes place several times a year. Drinkers sup a final brew at the aptly named Dry Dock - a narrow boat-turned-pub. It comes after Brits spent yesterday basking in temperatures as high as 33C as thousands flocked outside to enjoy the glorious sunshine. Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland all saw their hottest day of the year so far with sunseekers in England soaking up the scorching heat well into the evening. wimmers and sunbathers spent the day in Bournemouth and Brighton as they enjoyed an ice cream and a dip in the cooling water. Along the coast, many celebrated Bourne Free pride parade amid the soaring temperatures. And many watching Wimbledon were grateful for Iga Swiatek's flawless clean sweep victory in the women's singles final. Under the sweltering conditions, the Pole remained focused and brushed aside Amanda Anismova in straight sets - letting the SW19 revellers get off early. What counts as a heatwave? DESPITE many Brits spending the past few days basking in the sunshine we are not officially in a heatwave. A heatwave in the UK only comes around when a location records a period of at least three consecutive days of temperatures meeting or exceeding the temperature thresholds for a heatwave. Across the north and west of the UK this is set at 25C. In Greater London and the Home Counties, this rises to a whopping 28C. Spectators were advised to slap on the sunscreen and stay hydrated as "classic summer conditions" were forecasted for the tennis final. This is the third period of high heat the UK has experienced this year, leaving many Brits chuffed with the continued warm weather. The previous two were officially noted down as heatwaves with this one yet to officially meet the threshold despite it coming close. Large swathes of the UK have met the heatwave criteria, according to the Met Office. Temperatures hit 30.8C in Aboyne and Aviemore in Scotland, while in Wales, a high of 32.4C was recorded at Usk in Monmouthshire. The Met Office had announced much of Britain should look forward to a "fine and hot day". Temperatures are set to remain warm throughout Sunday. Amber and yellow heat health alerts are still in place for the Midlands and southern and eastern England until 9am on Monday when the weather is expected to last until. Today, for the Men's Wimbledon final, where Spanish sensation Carlos Alcaraz will face Jannick Sinner, the mercury will dip slightly. This may come as a relief to many revellers, and players alike, with slightly more cloud cover later in the day. But it will still be a hot day for those down south, with some areas predicted to reach 29C in the afternoon. The heat alerts, issued by the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) and Met Office, mean older and vulnerable people are at greater risk due to the temperature. This is because in the heat people are more likely to suffer dehydration, heat exhaustion, and potentially deadly heatstroke. Hot weather can also worsen asthma symptoms for some people, including increased breathing difficulties, wheezing, and coughing. It warns of a possible rise in deaths among those aged 65 and over or with health conditions. Younger age groups could also be affected. There is also a higher risk for vulnerable individuals living alone or in care homes due to overheating indoors 7 A woman wears a union jack dress for her costume this weekend Credit: NB PRESS LTD 7 One inventive costume included a ketchup label Credit: NB PRESS LTD
The Irish Sun
13-07-2025
- Climate
- The Irish Sun
Revellers don fancy dress for booze-fuelled Otley Run as Brits to bask in 30C temps TODAY – but it won't last for long
REVELLERS have donned fancy dress for the Otley Run as the UK is set to bask in 30C temperatures. Cowgirls, union jack dresses and even cardboard ketchup bottles were spotted as boozy revellers took to the streets for a pub crawl with pals. 7 A group of cowgirls with matching fans to keep cool Credit: NB PRESS LTD 7 Fans and hats are a common sight during this pub crawl Credit: NB PRESS LTD 7 A lifeguard, Lorax, and a Statue of Liberty were among the costumes Credit: NB PRESS LTD 7 The aim is to have a drink at 17 pubs for the famous crawl Credit: NB PRESS LTD Some only donned a movie t-shirt for their costume, while multiple "devils" were also spotted as many had leftover horns from Halloween. The two-and-a-half-mile happens multiple times a year. The historic Otley Run starts at Woodies pub in Far Headingley and finishes at The Dry Dock at the edge of the city centre. The aim of the game is to have a drink in each of the 17 pubs along the way. Read more Participants begin at Woodies before swilling snifters at 15 other watering holes during the challenge, which takes place several times a year. Drinkers sup a final brew at the aptly named Dry Dock - a narrow boat-turned-pub. It comes after Brits spent yesterday basking in temperatures as high as 33C as thousands flocked outside to enjoy the glorious sunshine. Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland all saw their hottest day of the year so far with sunseekers in England soaking up the scorching heat well into the evening. Most read in The Sun wimmers and sunbathers spent the day in Bournemouth and Brighton as they enjoyed an ice cream and a dip in the cooling water. Along the coast, many celebrated Bourne Free pride parade amid the soaring temperatures. And many watching Wimbledon were grateful for Iga Swiatek's flawless clean sweep victory in the women's singles final. Under the sweltering conditions, the Pole remained focused and What counts as a heatwave? DESPITE many Brits spending the past few days basking in the sunshine we are not officially in a heatwave. A heatwave in the UK only comes around when a location records a period of at least three consecutive days of temperatures meeting or exceeding the temperature thresholds for a heatwave. Across the north and west of the UK this is set at 25C. In Greater London and the Home Counties, this rises to a whopping 28C. Spectators were advised to slap on the sunscreen and stay hydrated as "classic summer conditions" were forecasted for the tennis final. This is the third period of high heat the UK has experienced this year, leaving many Brits chuffed with the continued warm weather. The previous two were officially noted down as heatwaves with this one yet to officially meet the threshold despite it coming close. Large swathes of the UK have met the heatwave criteria, according to the Met Office. Temperatures hit 30.8C in Aboyne and Aviemore in Scotland, while in Wales, a high of 32.4C was recorded at Usk in Monmouthshire. The Met Office had announced much of Britain should look forward to a "fine and hot day". Temperatures are set to Amber and yellow heat health alerts are still in place for the Midlands and southern and eastern England until 9am on Monday when the weather is expected to last until. Today, for the Men's Wimbledon final, where Spanish sensation This may come as a relief to many revellers, and players alike, with slightly more cloud cover later in the day. But it will still be a hot day for those down south, with some areas predicted to reach 29C in the afternoon. The heat alerts, issued by the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) and Met Office, mean older and vulnerable people are at greater risk due to the temperature. This is because in the heat people are more likely to suffer Hot weather can also worsen asthma symptoms for some people, including increased breathing difficulties, wheezing, and coughing. It warns of a possible rise in deaths among those aged 65 and over or with health conditions. Younger age groups could also be affected. There is also a higher risk for vulnerable individuals living alone or in care homes due to overheating indoors 7 A woman wears a union jack dress for her costume this weekend Credit: NB PRESS LTD 7 One inventive costume included a ketchup label Credit: NB PRESS LTD 7 Some only donned a movie t-shirt for their costume, while multiple "devils" were also spotted as many had leftover horns from Halloween Credit: NB PRESS LTD
The Irish Sun
25-06-2025
- Entertainment
- The Irish Sun
Eamonn Holmes' girlfriend explains heartbreaking reason she dropped out of red carpet with star hours before awards
EAMONN Holmes' girlfriend Katie Alexander has opened up on the heartbreaking reason she swerved her red carpet debut with him at this year's TRIC Awards. GB News star Eamonn, 65, was at the glitzy event on Tuesday night but 43-year-old Katie was noticeably absent alongside him. 6 Katie Alexander has revealed why she missed the TRIC Awards 6 Eamonn attended with his GB News co-stars instead Credit: nstagram/ @katster32 6 Katie congratulated Eamonn and the team after they won Best News Programme Credit: instagram/ @katster32 Katie, who has been in a relationship with Eamonn since last year, has now revealed why she decided to give it a miss. Taking to Instagram, the marriage counsellor has shared a photograph of herself sat barefoot inside a wooden cabin. She used stickers saying "be mindful" and "peace and quiet" to illustrate the snap. Writing alongside it, Katie admitted that she deliberately avoided the high profile event in London because of hurtful trolls. READ MORE ON EAMONN HOLMES She said: "Was going to The Tric Awards, but I'd rather protect my Mental Health and Inner Peace than be subjected to more online hate from people who don't know me." This year's TRIC Awards was held at Grosvenor House in London. It would have been Eamonn and Katie's first red carpet event together. Eamonn, who suffers from chronic pain, joined his GB News Breakfast Show co-stars on stage in his wheelchair as they collected the award for Best News Programme. Katie has since shared a photo of the team to congratulate them, writing: "Winner winner chicken dinner!" Most read in News TV The former couple, who share son Jack, are now in the midst of divorce and a . Eamonn Holmes, 65, and girlfriend Katie, 43, go Instagram official in sweet montage This is the second time this month Katie has spoken about the vile reaction her relationship with Eamonn has prompted from keyboard warriors. In an Instagram Story at the beginning of June, she while describing 2024 as "the year of hell". She told her followers she had received "lies about me and death threats from people who have never met me". Katie added: "Not only did my mental health suffer but also my children's did. One thing I don't do it forget. "But a huge thank you to my friends and family who know me, and the truth, and have supported me through the past year." Brave face Last week Katie put on a brave face as Eamonn, who needs a wheelchair to get around due to chronic pain, wore a classic grey morning suit and top hat to the prestigious races. Katie, meanwhile, also looked pretty in a white and black polka dot dress with ruffle detailing. She completed her look with a black fascinator and matching handbag. Katie told her: " A Beautiful day with beautiful people at @ascotracecourse yesterday. " Fantastic weather ☀️, albeit too hot 🥵 which meant I had to drink more champagne! 🍾 to stay hydrated! " 6 Katie began dating Eamonn last year Credit: NB PRESS LTD 6 She previously described 2024 as 'the year from hell' due to trolling and death threats Credit: instagram/@katster32 6 Eamonn and Katie enjoyed a date at Ascot last week Credit: instagram/@katster32
Scottish Sun
22-06-2025
- Politics
- Scottish Sun
Our proud city is scarred by grooming gang scandal – monster paedo still lives on OUR street… kids play outside his home
The Sun spoke to a mum who claims grooming by Asian gangs was "rife" in the Greater Manchester town, admitting she was one of its victims EVIL STAIN Our proud city is scarred by grooming gang scandal – monster paedo still lives on OUR street… kids play outside his home IT was a scandal that shocked and appalled the nation and has left what residents call a 'permanent stain' on a once proud northern town. From as early as the late 90s, a child sex abuse ring preyed on vulnerable girls as young as 12 in Rochdale, with victims claiming they felt 'betrayed' by police and social workers who 'turned a blind eye'. 12 Grooming gang leader Qari Abdul Rauf is living a comfortable life in Rochdale Credit: NB PRESS LTD 12 The former taxi driver and mosque teacher now works as a food delivery driver Credit: nb press ltd 12 Rauf (top left) was part of a nine-strong gang of Asian men who abused up to 47 vulnerable girls in Rochdale Credit: PA:Press Association 12 The street in Rochdale where Abdul Rauf lives Credit: Zenpix Now, as Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer has finally agreed to a national inquiry into the scandal - months after dismissing calls for one as a "far-Right bandwagon" - angry locals say they fear the Greater Manchester town will be forever tarnished, and worry it may never recover. What makes it worse is the fact a prominent grooming gang leader is still resident on one of its tree-lined streets - much to the disgust of his neighbours. Qari Abdul Rauf, a former taxi driver and mosque teacher, lives a comfortable life behind net curtains with his wife and children, working as a food delivery driver. He was part of a nine-strong gang of Asian men convicted of sex trafficking and other offences including rape, trafficking girls for sex and conspiracy to engage in sexual activity with a child in May 2012. Read More Features WOKE JUSTICE Sex beast killed my cousin…why is PM ignoring victims to let sickos out early? Up to 47 girls as young as 12 were plied with booze and drugs and gang-raped across Rochdale during the gang's two-year reign of terror. Child sex fiend Rauf trafficked a 15-year-old girl, using his taxi to drive her to secluded areas to sexually abuse her and ferry her to a flat where he and others abused her. The 55-year-old was caged for six years but released in November 2014, after serving just two years and six months of his sentence. Then-Home Secretary Theresa May ordered him and fellow gang member Adil Khan, who got a 13-year-old girl pregnant, to be sent back to Pakistan in 2014, as it would be "conducive to the public good". But Rauf used human rights law to evade deportation, and successive governments failed to deport him. Pakistan has also refused to take him back. Over a decade later Rauf and Khan remain in Rochdale, where their victims are forced to live alongside them. Ethnicity of child sex abuse suspects will be logged after truth about Asian grooming gangs was 'dodged for YEARS' Sickened neighbours have dubbed Rauf the "monster paedo" and wish he would be deported - while even he has admitted he cannot believe he is still living in the former mill town. David Carter, 69, who lives a few doors away from Rauf, told The Sun: "I'm horrified he's living near us. "He's a monster - he should never be in this country, never mind living in the same town where he caused so much misery. "It's appalling he's not been sent back to Pakistan. My grandchildren come to visit, so we always keep a close eye on him. "You see kids play in the street near his home. It's disgusting he's still here - he makes my skin crawl. 12 Abuser Abdul Rauf is noow living in an ordinary house in Rochdale Credit: Zenpix 12 David Carter lives a few doors down from Rauf says the paedo "makes his skin crawl" Credit: Zenpix "You only see him jump in the car - I think he knows everyone hates him. "An Asian man who lives in the street has said that he would be stoned to death if he ever made it back to Pakistan." Retired train driver David added: "The whole grooming scandal is a stain on our town. It's scandalous what happened." Mum-of-two Sharon Hughes, 32, added: "I can't believe this monster paedo is still here. "I tell my kids not to cycle near his house. It's terrifying this man still lives in our street." One mum told The Sun that grooming by Asian gangs was "rife" in the Greater Manchester town, admitting she was one of its victims, plied with booze, cannabis and ecstasy and driven to darkened flats. They would give us booze, weed and ecstasy. They would take us to flats and we would be in scary situations... They preyed on poor white girls Melissa Walking near a tram stop in the town centre, 37-year-old Melissa recalled: "It nearly happened to me when I was 13. "Two Asian men, who were in their 30s or 40s, would pick us up and drive us around. "They would give us booze, weed and ecstasy. They would take us to flats and we would be in scary situations. "They would try and kiss you. I knew it was wrong and that I had to get out of there. "Thankfully I was never abused or raped, but they gave us drugs all the time. "I didn't go to the police. It feels like we were abandoned to these men. They preyed on poor white girls." Scathing review 12 Baroness Casey's bombshell report found that councils and police deliberately covered up the abuse Credit: PA 12 The national inquiry was prompted by the recent convictions of another grooming gang in Rochdale during a five-year reign of terror between 2001 and 2006 (pictured) Credit: GMP The subject of grooming gangs has been thrust back into the spotlight this week following the bombshell report by Baroness Casey. The scathing review found councils, police and the Home Office repeatedly "shied away" from dealing with uncomfortable questions on the ethnicity of rapists who targeted young white girls. It revealed police and council leaders deliberately covered up the abuse - predominantly by men of Pakistani origin - because they feared being called racist. Baroness Casey's review also found that asylum seekers and foreign nationals are involved in a "significant proportion" of live investigations into grooming gangs across the UK. The national inquiry was prompted by the recent convictions of another grooming gang in Rochdale during a five-year reign of terror. The seven men "passed" victims around for sex and preyed on them in squalid flats and car parks in the town between 2001 and 2006. They groomed the girls from the age of 13, and made them their "sex slaves" by plying them with gifts, including alcohol and drugs. Last week Mohammed Zahid, 64, Kasir Bashir, 50, Mushtaq Ahmed, 66, Roheez Khan, 39, Mohammed Shahzad, 43, Nisar Hussain, 43, and Naheem Akram, 48, were convicted. Three of the abusers - Zahid, Ahmed and Bashir - were born in Pakistan and worked as stallholders on Rochdale's indoor market. Father-of-three Zahid - known as Boss Man - gave free underwear from his lingerie stall to victims. 'Betrayed a generation' One Rochdale victim previously stressed her belief that police and social workers ignored the horrifying crimes because of political correctness. Girl A, as she was known in court, was raped multiple times by sick grooming gang leader Shabir Ahmed, known as 'The Daddy' to his victims. He plied her with alcohol above a dingy takeaway. Ahmed, 72, who was in the same gang as Rauf, was caged for 22 years. Now 24, she told the BBC: "The police and social workers betrayed a generation of girls by turning a blind eye. "They knew exactly what was going on — they just didn't want to stop it. "They knew the girls were under-age, they knew the men abusing them were Asian. They were just too politically correct to admit it. "They thought they'd be called racist if they told the truth." The police and social workers betrayed a generation of girls by turning a blind eye. They knew exactly what was going on — they just didn't want to stop it... They thought they'd be called racist if they told the truth Girl A A government report in August 2014 found that 1,400 girls were groomed and abused between 1997 and 2013. Other estimates have put the figure as high as 2,000. In 2017, BBC1 drama The Girls, starring Shameless actress Maxine Peake, featured the shocking child sex abuse in Rochdale and the fact that it was ignored for years. It prompted major criticism of the authorities as police, prosecutors and Rochdale Council were forced to apologise for their failings. 'We should all hang our heads in shame' 12 Taxi driver Karamat Hussain thinks it will take a long time for the town's reputation to recover Credit: Zenpix When The Sun visited Rochdale this week, residents told of their shame that the abuse went unchecked under their noses. Grandmother Beryl Jones, 64, said: "It's sickening what went on. "The town has been shamed by it and the fact that no-one believed these girls. We should all hang our heads in shame." Taxi driver Karamat Hussain, 59, told The Sun: "What happened was disgusting. "It was shocking that it was ignored for so long. I didn't know anything about it and was stunned when I read about it. "I think it is going to take a long time for the town's reputation to recover. "When people talk about Rochdale they now think about grooming gangs which is so sad. "Much more should have been done to help these girls and stop all the abuse." 12 BBC1 drama The Girls, which starred Maxine Peake, covered the grooming gang abuse that happened in Rochdale Credit: BBC Handout 12 Rochdale residents fear the town's reputation is forever stained Credit: Zenpix 12 Local residents are disgusted that the paedophile was never deported Credit: Zenpix
The Irish Sun
22-06-2025
- Politics
- The Irish Sun
Our proud city is scarred by grooming gang scandal – monster paedo still lives on OUR street… kids play outside his home
IT was a scandal that shocked and appalled the nation and has left what residents call a 'permanent stain' on a once proud northern town. From as early as the late 90s, a child sex abuse ring preyed on vulnerable girls as young as 12 in Rochdale, with victims claiming they felt 'betrayed' by police and social workers who 'turned a blind eye'. 12 Grooming gang leader Qari Abdul Rauf is living a comfortable life in Rochdale Credit: NB PRESS LTD 12 The former taxi driver and mosque teacher now works as a food delivery driver Credit: nb press ltd 12 Rauf (top left) was part of a nine-strong gang of Asian men who abused up to 47 vulnerable girls in Rochdale Credit: PA:Press Association 12 The street in Rochdale where Abdul Rauf lives Credit: Zenpix Now, as Prime Minister What makes it worse is the fact a prominent grooming gang leader is still resident on one of its tree-lined streets - much to the disgust of his neighbours. He was part of a nine-strong gang of Asian men convicted of sex trafficking and other offences including rape, trafficking girls for sex and conspiracy to engage in sexual activity with a child in May 2012. Up to 47 girls as young as 12 were plied with booze and drugs and gang-raped across Rochdale during the gang's two-year reign of terror. Child sex fiend Rauf trafficked a 15-year-old girl, using his taxi to drive her to secluded areas to sexually abuse her and ferry her to a flat where he and others abused her. The 55-year-old was caged for six years but released in November 2014, after serving just two years and six months of his sentence. Then-Home Secretary Theresa May ordered him and fellow gang member Adil Khan, who got a 13-year-old girl pregnant, to be sent back to Pakistan in 2014, as it would be "conducive to the public good". Most read in The Sun But Rauf used human rights law to evade deportation, and successive governments failed to deport him. Pakistan has also refused to take him back. Over a decade later Rauf and Khan remain in Rochdale, where their victims are forced to live alongside them. Ethnicity of child sex abuse suspects will be logged after truth about Asian grooming gangs was 'dodged for YEARS' Sickened neighbours have dubbed Rauf the "monster paedo" and wish he would be deported - while even he has admitted he cannot believe he is still living in the former mill town. David Carter, 69, who lives a few doors away from Rauf, told The Sun: "I'm horrified he's living near us. "He's a monster - he should never be in this country, never mind living in the same town where he caused so much misery. "It's appalling he's not been sent back to Pakistan. My grandchildren come to visit, so we always keep a close eye on him. "You see kids play in the street near his home. It's disgusting he's still here - he makes my skin crawl. 12 Abuser Abdul Rauf is noow living in an ordinary house in Rochdale Credit: Zenpix 12 David Carter lives a few doors down from Rauf says the paedo "makes his skin crawl" Credit: Zenpix "You only see him jump in the car - I think he knows everyone hates him. "An Asian man who lives in the street has said that he would be stoned to death if he ever made it back to Pakistan." Retired train driver David added: "The whole grooming scandal is a stain on our town. It's scandalous what happened." Mum-of-two Sharon Hughes, 32, added: "I can't believe this monster paedo is still here. "I tell my kids not to cycle near his house. It's terrifying this man still lives in our street." One mum told The Sun that grooming by Asian gangs was "rife" in the Greater Manchester town, admitting she was one of its victims, plied with booze, cannabis and ecstasy and driven to darkened flats. They would give us booze, weed and ecstasy. They would take us to flats and we would be in scary situations... They preyed on poor white girls Melissa Walking near a tram stop in the town centre, 37-year-old Melissa recalled: "It nearly happened to me when I was 13. "Two Asian men, who were in their 30s or 40s, would pick us up and drive us around. "They would give us booze, weed and ecstasy. They would take us to flats and we would be in scary situations. "They would try and kiss you. I knew it was wrong and that I had to get out of there. "Thankfully I was never abused or raped, but they gave us drugs all the time. "I didn't go to the police. It feels like we were abandoned to these men. They preyed on poor white girls." Scathing review 12 Baroness Casey's bombshell report found that councils and police deliberately covered up the abuse Credit: PA 12 The national inquiry was prompted by the recent convictions of another grooming gang in Rochdale during a five-year reign of terror between 2001 and 2006 (pictured) Credit: GMP The subject of grooming gangs has been thrust back into the spotlight this week following the bombshell report by Baroness Casey. The scathing review found councils, police and the Home Office repeatedly "shied away" from dealing with uncomfortable questions on the ethnicity of rapists who targeted young white girls. It revealed police and council leaders deliberately covered up the abuse - predominantly by men of Pakistani origin - because they feared being called racist. Baroness Casey's review also found that asylum seekers and foreign nationals are involved in a "significant proportion" of live investigations into grooming gangs across the UK. The national inquiry was prompted by the recent convictions of The seven men "passed" victims around for sex and preyed on them in squalid flats and car parks in the town between 2001 and 2006. They groomed the girls from the age of 13, and made them their "sex slaves" by plying them with gifts, including alcohol and drugs. Last week Mohammed Zahid, 64, Kasir Bashir, 50, Mushtaq Ahmed, 66, Roheez Khan, 39, Mohammed Shahzad, 43, Nisar Hussain, 43, and Naheem Akram, 48, were convicted. Three of the abusers - Zahid, Ahmed and Bashir - were born in Pakistan and worked as stallholders on Rochdale's indoor market. Father-of-three Zahid - known as Boss Man - gave free underwear from his lingerie stall to victims. 'Betrayed a generation' One Rochdale victim previously stressed her belief that police and social workers ignored the horrifying crimes because of political correctness. Girl A, as she was known in court, was raped multiple times by sick grooming gang leader Shabir Ahmed, known as 'The Daddy' to his victims. He plied her with alcohol above a dingy takeaway. Ahmed, 72, who was in the same gang as Rauf, was caged for 22 years. Now 24, she told the BBC: "The police and social workers betrayed a generation of girls by turning a blind eye. "They knew exactly what was going on — they just didn't want to stop it. "They knew the girls were under-age, they knew the men abusing them were Asian. They were just too politically correct to admit it. "They thought they'd be called racist if they told the truth." The police and social workers betrayed a generation of girls by turning a blind eye. They knew exactly what was going on — they just didn't want to stop it... They thought they'd be called racist if they told the truth Girl A A government report in August 2014 found that 1,400 girls were groomed and abused between 1997 and 2013. Other estimates have put the figure as high as 2,000. In 2017, BBC1 drama The Girls, starring Shameless actress It prompted major criticism of the authorities as police, prosecutors and Rochdale Council were forced to apologise for their failings. 'We should all hang our heads in shame' 12 Taxi driver Karamat Hussain thinks it will take a long time for the town's reputation to recover Credit: Zenpix When The Sun visited Rochdale this week, residents told of their shame that the abuse went unchecked under their noses. Grandmother Beryl Jones, 64, said: "It's sickening what went on. "The town has been shamed by it and the fact that no-one believed these girls. We should all hang our heads in shame." Taxi driver Karamat Hussain, 59, told The Sun: "What happened was disgusting. "It was shocking that it was ignored for so long. I didn't know anything about it and was stunned when I read about it. "I think it is going to take a long time for the town's reputation to recover. Read more on the Irish Sun "When people talk about Rochdale they now think about grooming gangs which is so sad. "Much more should have been done to help these girls and stop all the abuse." 12 BBC1 drama The Girls, which starred Maxine Peake, covered the grooming gang abuse that happened in Rochdale Credit: BBC Handout 12 Rochdale residents fear the town's reputation is forever stained Credit: Zenpix 12 Local residents are disgusted that the paedophile was never deported Credit: Zenpix Grooming gang crackdown unveiled BARONESS Casey's report sets out a series of recommendations, which the government has accepted in full. 1. Strengthen the law : Tighten the law so that any adult who has sex with a child under the age of 16 is automatically charged with rape, removing current legal grey areas that allow abusers to avoid proper punishment. 2. Address Historical Failings : Through a national inquiry pursue justice for past cases and hold accountable those who failed to act. 3. Enhance Intelligence Gathering : Improve the collection and analysis of information to combat exploitation more effectively. 4. Improve Inter-Agency Collaboration : Foster stronger cooperation and information-sharing among agencies. 5. Mandatory Reporting : Require all services to share information when a child is at risk. 6. Introduce Unique Child Identifiers : Implement a system to ensure children are consistently and accurately identified across services. 7. Modernise Police Systems : Upgrade technology to enable seamless communication and prevent missed opportunities. 8. Treat Grooming Gangs as Serious Organised Crime : Employ the same robust strategies used to combat other forms of organised criminal activity. 9. Investigate Declining Reports : The Department for Education must examine why reports of child abuse are decreasing and take corrective action. 10. Understand the Underlying Drivers : Conduct in-depth research into the factors underpinning grooming gangs, including cultural and online influences. 11. Regulate the Taxi Industry : Prevent exploitation by restricting the use of 'out-of-area' taxi drivers. 12. Commit Government Resources : Ministers must allocate funding and ensure measurable progress is achieved.
