Judge rejects claim race played part in conviction

A judge has rejected claims that race played a part in the conviction of a gang of nine Asian men from Greater Manchester, who groomed girls as young as 13 with drink and drugs.

Judge Gerald Clifton was sentencing the men after they were convicted of conspiracy to engage in sexual activity with children under the age of 16 and other offences on Tuesday.

"Some of you, when arrested, said it was triggered by race," he said. "That is nonsense. What triggered this prosecution was your lust and greed."

Judge Clifton told the defendants the sentences he was about to pass "applied to all defendants, be they white or Asian".

Some defendants had previously accused the all-white jury of being racist after a tweet by BNP leader Nick Griffin.

Last Thursday afternoon - two-and-a-half days after the jury retired to consider its verdicts - Griffin posted a comment on his @nickgriffinmep account which read: "News flash. Seven of the Muslim paedophile rapists found guilty in Liverpool."

But Griffin later backtracked on Twitter when he was told that the jury had not yet officially returned any verdicts.

Alias Yousaf, solicitor for one of the men, Adil Khan, confirmed he will lodge an appeal against his conviction, saying there had been attempts by right-wing organisations to influence the outcome "from the outset of this trial".

But Judge Clifton praised the jury, saying: "I, and the people of Britain, must be thankful for the painstaking care that you took in the trial. I want you to go home and hold your heads high."

Greater Manchester Police has also denied there was a "racial or cultural" element to the gang's crimes and said it was about adults abusing vulnerable children.