The gang piled their five victims with drink and drugs before they “passed them around” for sex. The offences took place at two takeaways in the Heywood area of the city.

The inquiry was Greater Manchester Police’s largest ever investigation into child sexual exploitation.

At Liverpool Crown Court Abdul Rauf, 43, of Darley Road, Rochdale was jailed for six years for conspiracy to engage in sexual activity with a child and trafficking a child within the UK, Adil Khan, 42, of Oswald Street, Rochdale was jailed for eight years for two counts of conspiracy to engage in sexual activity with a child and trafficking a child within the UK, Mohammed Sajid, 35, of Jepheys Street, Rochdale was jailed for 12 years for two counts of conspiracy to engage in sexual activity with a child, sexual activity with a child, rape and trafficking a child within the UK, Mohammed Amin, 45, of Falinge Road, Falinge, was jailed for five years for conspiracy to engage in sexual activity with a child and sexual assault, Abdul Aziz, 41, of Armstrong Hurst Close, Rochdale, was jailed for nine years for conspiracy to engage in sexual activity with a child and trafficking a child within the UK, Hamid Safi, 22, of Kensington Street, Rochdale, was jailed for four years for conspiracy to engage in sexual activity with a child and trafficking a child within the UK, Kabeer Hassan, 25, of Lacrosse Avenue, Oldham, was jailed for nine years for conspiracy to engage in sexual activity with a child and rape, being aider and abettor, and Abdul Qayyum, 44, of Ramsay Street, Rochdale, was jailed for five years for conspiracy to engage in sexual activity with a child.

All were ordered to sign the sex offenders register for life.

The court was told over the course of several years, the girls, who were aged between 13 and 17 at the time, were systematically raped and abused by the defendants.
Displaying classic grooming behaviour, the men plied their young vulnerable victims with alcohol, food and money in return for sex.
On some occasions the girls were beaten if they didn't agree to have sex and on others they were so drunk that they didn't know what was being done to them.

Senior Investigating Officer Detective Inspector Michael Sanderson, of the sexual offences unit, said: “Today’s result reflects the gravity of the offences.
“These defendants have never shown the slightest bit of remorse and have forced their victims to re-live their horrific ordeals.
“Today’s sentences provide a strong message that Greater Manchester Police and our partners will hunt down and prosecute anyone believed to be involved in the sexual exploitation of children.”

Mohammed Shafiq, Chief Executive of the Ramadhan Foundation, said the men had “brought shame” on the Pakistani community.

And he accused Pakistani elders of “burying their head in their hands” over the issue of child grooming.

He said: “These criminals have brought shame on themselves, their families and our community.  We reject their actions without reservation.

“There is a significant problem for the British Pakistani community, there is an over representation amongst recent convictions in the crime of on street grooming, there should be no silence in addressing the issue of race as this is central to the actions of these criminals.  They think that white teenage girls are worthless and can be abused without a second thought; it is this sort of behaviour that is bringing shame on our community.  I urge the Police and the Councils not to be frightened to address this issue, there is a strong lesson that you cannot ignore race or be over sensitive.”

He added: “I have been overwhelmed by the support the Ramadhan Foundation has been given by young people for our campaign on child grooming  but concerned that community elders are once again burying their heads in the sand, this concerns us all and we must speak out.  The community elders need to learn from the reaction of young people and reject any attempt to silence the reaction from our community.”