Convicted grooming gang leader Shabir Ahmed has been moved from a hostel in Accrington after the location of his accommodation was circulated on social media, authorities have confirmed. Ahmed, 73, who led the notorious Rochdale grooming ring, was released from prison on licence on 2 July after serving 14 years of a 19-year sentence imposed in 2012.
Licence restrictions and local reaction
Under the terms of his release Ahmed is subject to a set of monitoring and behavioural conditions intended to protect the public. Those measures include placement at approved accommodation with 24-hour staffing and lifelong registration on the sex offenders register, officials say. He is also banned from contacting his victims or any child or young person, and his movements are being tracked. He cannot return to his former home in Oldham and is excluded from parts of Rochdale.
"Public protection is our top priority. This offender is subject to the toughest supervision possible and he will be on the sex offenders register for life," a Ministry of Justice spokeswoman said.
The disclosure of the hostel address provoked a strong local response. Sarah Smith, Labour MP for Hyndburn and Haslingden, said she had pushed ministers and police to secure his removal from the town.
"Since finding out that Shabir Ahmed had been released from prison into Hyndburn, I did everything in my power to get him removed. I can confirm that he has been moved," Ms Smith said.
Community concerns and official actions
Relatives of victims, local residents and community leaders expressed distress that Ahmed had been placed in the North West, close to locations connected to the offences for which he was convicted. The disclosure of accommodation on social media brought those concerns into sharp focus and prompted rapid engagement by local MPs, the Ministry of Justice and Lancashire Police.
- Release date: 2 July (released on licence)
- Sentence served: 14 years of a 19-year term handed down in 2012
- Age: 73
- Current status: Moved from Accrington hostel; subject to licence conditions and exclusions
| Licence condition | Details |
|---|---|
| Approved accommodation | Placement at staffed premises (24-hour cover) |
| Contact bans | Prohibited from contacting victims or any child/young person |
| Monitoring | Movements tracked; registered on sex offenders register for life |
| Geographical restrictions | Cannot return to previous Oldham address; excluded from parts of Rochdale |
Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood has said she will act to secure deportation, and ministers are reported to be considering changes to immigration rules in response. Local MPs have called for a wider exclusion zone so offenders of this kind are not placed in Lancashire or the North West.
The disclosure raises wider questions about how high-profile offenders are accommodated on release and how information shared online can affect community safety. Police and prison service representatives say they treat public protection as their main priority and will not comment on operational detail beyond confirming that the individual remains subject to licence supervision.
Further enquiries by the local authority and police are expected as agencies review placement arrangements and public communications in the wake of the social media posting.
