Four men have been charged as part of an operation into child sexual exploitation in Rochdale.

Gul Zaman, 42, Mohammed Ishaque, 55, Shohaib Shabbir, 27, and Irshad Wani, 38, are all due to appear in court over coming weeks.

Zaman, of HMP Manchester, is charged with one count of rape and will appear at Minshull Street Crown Court on July 10.

Ishaque, of Denton Street, Rochdale, has been charged with inciting a child to engage in prostitution.

Shabbir, of Copster Hill Road, Oldham, has been charged with one count of rape and one count of sexual activity with a child.

Ishaque and Shabbir are due to appear before Bury and Rochdale Magistrates’ Court, this Friday, June 19.

The fourth defendant, Wani, of Whitworth Road, Rochdale, has been charged with seven counts of sexual activity with a child and one count of child grooming.

He is due to appear at Minshull Street Crown Court on July 6.

Operation Doublet was launched to tackle child sexual exploitation in Rochdale.

In 2007, a victim aged under 16 was raped and assaulted in the Rochdale area.