Grooming gang member on the run from police for six months may have fled Britain

The men groomed their victims, who were as young as 13, as "sex slaves", exploiting their vulnerabilities through a campaign of manipulation.

The market stall holder was in his mid-20s when he exploited young and vulnerable girls as part of a criminal rape gang.

The young girls had “deeply troubled home lives” and were handed drugs, alcohol, cigarette and given places to stay.

In return, the gang expected their victims to have sex with them "whenever and wherever" despite their vulnerability.

Bashir repeatedly raped and abused a teenager at a flat in Oldham, while other gang members abused girls in cars, car parks, alleyways and disused warehouses throughout the town.

The Pakistani-born 50-year-old disappeared the night before he was set to appear at Manchester Minshull Street Crown Court, sparking an international manhunt.

Despite his absence, Bashir was found guilty last month, alongside six other men.

Greater Manchester Police (GMP) have not ruled out the possibility that the convicted rapist had fled Britain.

His whereabouts remain unknown to authorities, but he has remained on a police “critical wanted” list since January.

If Bashir had left Britain, he would have done so illegally due to the 50-year-old surrendering his passport as part of bail conditions set by a crown court judge before the trial, according to the Manchester Evening News.

Following the rape gangs verdict, Detective Superintendent Alan Clitherow, of Greater Manchester Police, said: “There was information at the time that police and other agencies could, and should, have done something with and we didn’t. The way those victims were dealt with at the time is indefensible and inexcusable.

"We have made comprehensive apologies for that. We’re not perfect but we are very much improving now on how we manage these investigations.

"We have got a dedicated central team, we have got multi-agency teams that work out on districts. So, we are now light years away from where we were at that time.

"But the simple fact is that we did make mistakes. We didn’t act on information we should have but we have learnt from that."

The six other convicted men include market stallholders and taxi drivers who systematically abused their victims between 2001 and 2006.

Two other gang members were Pakistani-born market stallholders: Mohammed Zahid, 64, and Mushtaq Ahmed, 67.

Zahid, known as "Boss Man", operated a lingerie stall where he gave free underwear to both victims, along with money, alcohol and food in exchange for sex with him and his associates.

In 2016, Zahid received a five-year sentence in a separate grooming case involving a 15-year-old girl who visited his stall to purchase school tights.

Paul Waugh, the MP for Rochdale, said: “It is deeply alarming that this disgusting grooming gang member absconded on the eve of his trial.

"I have written to both the Ministry of Justice [MoJ] and GMP to ask exactly why a suspected child rapist like Bashir was not considered more of a flight risk or more of a danger to society.

"There are serious questions to answer about the assessment of his suitability for bail and why he was not remanded in custody.

"The fact that he is at large will rightly anger many of my constituents. Ultimately, this is a matter for the crown court judge in this case.

"But I have asked the justice minister to check whether there can be a review of the bail decision by the Attorney General, given the natural public interest this involves.

"Just as importantly, I want to make sure no future grooming gang trial will see a repeat of this outrage, and that all those charged with such serious offences are remanded in custody.”