All but two of the evil perverts were freed early from jail and are roaming streets

It has sparked a backlash with an angry mob of locals confronting one of the men

The incident came just hours after an episode of Three Girls aired on BBC1

The harrowing TV drama, which stars Maxine Peake and Molly Windsor, reveals how girls were targeted and raped in Rochdale, Manchester

Locals in Rochdale were furious when they saw Abdul Rauf, pictured, who is believed to have been released after serving half of a six year sentence for trafficking and conspiracy to engage in sexual activity with a child

The paedophile gang exposed by the Three Girls TV drama have been released from prison and are roaming the same streets where they preyed on their young victims, it has been revealed.

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Parents in Rochdale, Manchester, were horrified to discover that all but two of the evil perverts were freed early after completing only a portion of their sentences.

It has sparked a furious backlash with an angry mob of locals confronting one of the men just hours after an episode of the harrowing drama aired on BBC1.

The harrowing TV drama, which stars Maxine Peake and Molly Windsor, reveals how girls were targeted and raped in Rochdale.

The programme is based on the true story of two women who spent years battling for the horrific abuse to be taken seriously.

Feelings in the town were running high as the drama was shown over three nights just years after the nine-strong Asian paedophile gang was jailed.

One worried resident told the Mirror: 'A lot of girls they abused will still be living here. People need to know they are back.'

Another added: 'I didn't realise they were out. I'm disgusted we weren't informed so we could warn our children.'

Locals were furious when they spotted Abdul Rauf, who is believed to have been released after serving half of a six year sentence for trafficking and conspiracy to engage in sexual activity with a child.

Harrowing TV drama Three Girls, which stars Maxine Peake (pictured right) and Molly Windsor (pictured left), reveals how girls were targeted and raped in Rochdale

They called the police on Wednesday after spotting the 48-year-old in the street but he was seen again later that day as children played nearby.

Residents are now tracking the movements of the paedophiles, with one writing: 'One of them lives in my street with his wife and children. He's allowed to stay there even though our street is full of kids playing out.'

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Police are powerless to act because Rauf is meeting his licence conditions - but officers assured neighbours that the paedophile was visiting his family rather than moving back in.

Of the nine men convicted over the scandal in 2012, only Shabir Ahmed, 64, who was caged for 22 years, and Mohammed Sajid, 40, who was jailed for 12 years, remain behind bars.

Hamid Safi, 27, pictured, got four years in jail

Adil Khan, 47, pictured, was freed after serving half of his eight-year sentence

Five years ago, it was ordered they be stripped of their British citizenship and returned to Pakistan.

But four of the men are continuing to fight their extradition with the Court of Appeal cases being funded by the taxpayer.

The case has raised fears that convicted criminals are adopting a strategy of timewasting and obstructing the courts to try and to put off any possible deportation from the UK as long as possible.

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MPs have accused lawyers of making money by 'gaming the system' and using delaying tactics to spin out cases.

Abdul Qayyum, 49, pictured, was given five years in prison by a judge

Abdul Aziz, 46, pictured, has been released on licence after serving half of his nine-year sentence

Last week one of the gang's victims told how she 'just froze' when she came face-to-face with one of the abusers in Rochdale only a few weeks ago.

Speaking under the pseudonym Lily, the woman – who was groomed from the age of 11 – told Good Morning Britain that she hadn't been taken seriously by the authorities.

She said: 'I actually bumped into one [of the abusers] in my hometown a few weeks ago. I just, I just froze.

'I was like, there's nothing I can do – I've brought it to court, he was sentenced and now he's out.'

Mohammed Amin, 50, pictured, was jailed for five years and is now understood to have been freed along with the rest of the gang bar two of the members

Kabeer Hassan, 30, pictured, served half of his nine-year sentence and is now roaming the streets once again

Rauf, Kabeer Hassan, 30, Adil Khan, 47, and Abdul Aziz, 46, have all been released on licence after going beyond the half-way point of their sentences.

Mohammed Amin, 50, Abdul Qayyum, 49, and Hamid Safi, 27, were all handed fewer than five years in jail and are now understood to be free.

Khan was convicted of two counts of engaging a child in sexual activity and one of trafficking a girl for sex within the UK.

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Rauf was convicted of trafficking and conspiracy to engage in sexual activity with a child, while Aziz was convicted of trafficking and conspiracy to engage in sexual activity with a child.