Rochdale child sex abuse ringleader continues fight against extradition

The ringleader of the depraved Rochdale child sex abuse gang is continuing his fight against extradition to his native Pakistan.

Shabir Ahmed, 64, along with three other convicted men are taking their case to the Court of Appeal to avoid being removed from the UK.

Their trial at Liverpool Crown Court heard five girls - aged between 13 and 15 - were given alcohol, food and money in return for sex but there were times when violence was used.

The story of abuse was turned into a TV drama, Three Girls, shown on the BBC this week.

Ahmed is serving a 22-year jail sentence after being convicted of a string of offences including rape in 2012.

A previous hearing was told he had claimed his convictions were a conspiracy to "scapegoat" Muslims.

Five years ago, it was ordered that Ahmed, as well as fellow claimants Adil Khan, Qari Abdul Rauf and Abdul Aziz, be stripped of their British citizenship and returned to Pakistan.

A date for the Court of Appeal hearing has not yet been set.

A Home Office spokesman said: "All four men have been granted permission to appeal at the Court of Appeal."