3 British Pakistani men are charged with rape against 10 girls in Bury

Three British Pakistani men have been charged with a combined 46 offences, including rape, following an investigation into historical child sexual exploitation in Bury, Greater Manchester.

The men are accused of committing offences between 1996 and 2001 against 10 girls who were aged between 14 and 16 at the time.

Ashfaq Khan, 46, of Bury, faces 36 counts including rape, attempted rape, indecent assault and false imprisonment. Zaheer Iqbal, 52, of Accrington, Lancashire, is charged with four counts of rape and two of false imprisonment. Qamar Jehangeer, 38, of Bolton, is accused of four counts of rape.

The charges stem from Operation Sky, an investigation Greater Manchester Police described as complex and sensitive, focused on the town.

The force said officers are working with trauma-informed support services to safeguard everyone affected, adding that the victims' safety and wellbeing remain the number one priority.

All three defendants will appear at Manchester Magistrates' Court on Wednesday.