Outrage Erupts as 73-Year-Old Grooming Gang Leader is Placed Near Children's Playground After Prison Release in Major Blunder

A VILE Rochdale grooming gang leader was housed near a children’s playground in a “serious error” after being freed from prison.

Shabir Ahmed, 73, on licence earlier his month but sparked fury after it was revealed he would not be deported to Pakistan due to a 55-year-old .

A Rochdale grooming gang leader was housed in Accrington following his released, sparking fury from locals (stock) Credit: Alamy Ahmed was deemed ‘unsafe’ to be freed from prison just 20 months before his release Credit: PA

The convicted paedophile served just 14 years of a 22-year sentence after he was convicted of 30 child rapes in 2012.

But furious locals have now vented their fury after it was revealed that he had been housed near a children’s playground and a mosque in Accrington following his release.

In a letter to Lancashire Police, Kamran Mahmood, the chief executive of Ghausia Rizvia Jamia Masjid, warned that putting rapist Ahmed nearby was “a serious error of judgement” and threatened “public safety” and “community cohesion”.

In the letter sent to Lancashire Police, the masjid’s chief executive said the vile paedo’s placement “at the heart of our community” in Accrington was “a serious error of judgement by the relevant authorities”.

He said the location near a playground and the mosque “places an individual convicted of serious sexual offences in immediate proximity to children, families and vulnerable members of the public who use these spaces daily”.

“This placement has already caused significant distress, fear and anger within our communities,” he said.

He added that the masjid’s committee wanted reassurances that steps would be taken to “protect public safety and maintain community cohesion”.

Ahmed has since been hastily removed from Accrington where he was rehoused.

The local backlash prompted swift political intervention, with Hyndburn MP Sarah Smith confirming that while the offender has now been moved, she was “disgusted that he was ever here in the first place”.

The Ministry of Justice has since confirmed that Ahmed has been relocated outside the borough.

Ahmed was also deemed to pose a “very high risk of serious harm” towards children three years ago, The Guardian reports.

The paedophile also attempted to seriously injure another prisoner.

But the (MoJ) released the ringleader after 14 years as his 22-year sentence had an automatic release date two-thirds of the way through.

Victims of the paedophile ring were also after he was released from prison.

However, due to a loophole in the Act 1971, Ahmed is set to stay in the country despite having his British citizenship removed.

The Home Office said any breach of Ahmed’s strict licence conditions would result in him being immediately returned to prison.

After facing mounting calls for Ahmed’s deportation, the government is said to be considering or withholding foreign aid to force Pakistan to take back Ahmed.

Ahmed has been stripped of his British citizenship but cannot be deported due to the 1971 Immigration Act that forbids the removal of a small group of citizens who arrived in the UK more than 50 years ago.

The divorced dad-of-four arrived in the UK before 1973.

Home Secretary, , is planning to scrap the legal loophole stopping Ahmed from being deported.

And PM in waiting has backed victims’ calls to remove the “vile criminal” from the country.