Grooming Gang Boss Who Called Himself ‘Daddy’ Is Moved After Furious Locals Discover Where He Was Living

Shabir Ahmed, the convicted ringleader of the Rochdale grooming gang, has been moved from the hostel where he had been staying after his release from prison. The move came after the location of the hostel was shared widely on social media, leading to public anger and renewed demands for him to be deported from the UK.

Ahmed, now 73, was released earlier this month after serving 14 years in prison. He had originally been sentenced to 22 years in 2012 for leading a gang that sexually abused vulnerable girls, some as young as 13, in Rochdale and Heywood. The abuse took place around the Tasty Bites takeaway and another nearby takeaway between 2007 and 2010. During the trials, Ahmed, a former taxi driver, was found guilty of rape and several other serious sexual offences. Some of the young victims knew him by the nickname “Daddy.”

Although Ahmed no longer holds British citizenship and is now only a Pakistani citizen, he has not been deported because of a legal loophole linked to the Immigration Act 1971. The law currently protects a small group of Commonwealth citizens who arrived in Britain more than 50 years ago from being removed from the country, even after serious criminal convictions.

The UK Government has since announced plans to change the law so people in Ahmed’s situation can be deported. However, ministers have admitted that changing the legislation alone will not guarantee his removal because Pakistan would also have to agree to accept him.

Following his release, Ahmed was placed in approved accommodation at a hostel in Accrington, Lancashire. The address later appeared on social media, causing outrage among local residents who were shocked to learn that one of Britain’s most notorious sex offenders was living in their community.

Ahmed is not allowed to return to his former home in Oldham and is banned from entering parts of Rochdale. He is also subject to strict licence conditions. These include living in accommodation staffed around the clock, remaining under close supervision, being monitored by authorities, staying on the Sex Offenders Register for the rest of his life, and having no contact with his victims or with children and young people.

Hyndburn MP Sarah Smith said she immediately contacted the relevant authorities after learning Ahmed had been housed in her constituency. She confirmed that following discussions with the Ministry of Justice, the Home Office and Lancashire Police, he had been moved to another undisclosed location.

Smith welcomed the decision but said it should never have been necessary. She argued that Ahmed should not have been placed anywhere in Lancashire or the North West because of the seriousness of his crimes and the lasting trauma suffered by his victims.

She also repeated calls for Ahmed to be deported as quickly as possible, saying the women and girls whose lives were devastated by his offences deserved to know that he would leave the country once he was released from prison. Instead, she said, they were forced to learn that he was still living in the UK, not far from the communities where the abuse took place.

Smith described Ahmed as someone who came to Britain, led one of the country’s most infamous child grooming gangs and committed horrific crimes against children. She insisted that because he is no longer a British citizen, he should be removed from the country without delay.

The Ministry of Justice said protecting the public remains its highest priority. Officials stressed that Ahmed is being supervised under some of the strictest licence conditions available. His movements are being monitored, he is banned from contacting his victims or any children, and he will remain on the Sex Offenders Register for life.

Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood has announced plans to amend the Immigration and Asylum Bill to remove the legal protection that currently prevents deportation in cases like Ahmed’s. However, she told MPs that even if Parliament approves the change, the UK cannot force Pakistan to accept him if the country refuses.

Victims Minister Catherine Atkinson defended the Government’s efforts, pointing to previous cases where the UK successfully persuaded countries to take back foreign offenders. She said the Government had previously threatened visa restrictions against countries including Angola, Namibia and the Democratic Republic of the Congo, leading them to cooperate with deportation flights.

Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer’s spokesman also confirmed that the Government is exploring every possible option, including discussions with the Pakistani authorities, in an effort to secure Ahmed’s removal from the UK.

Pakistan, however, has made its position clear. Tahir Andrabi, speaking on behalf of Pakistan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, said the matter is entirely the responsibility of the British Government. He argued that Ahmed spent almost his entire adult life in the United Kingdom, committed his crimes there and was convicted by a British court, meaning Britain alone is responsible for deciding what happens to him.

Andrabi said Pakistan has no involvement in the case and does not believe it should be expected to deal with someone whose offences were committed entirely in Britain. He added that decisions about Ahmed’s release, supervision and legal status should remain the responsibility of the UK authorities under British law.