Lancashire Council receptionist jailed after attempting to derail grooming trial Published duration 30 August 2013

image caption Mohammed Imran Amjad 's girlfriend accessed a database 60 times

A woman who worked in social services has been jailed for attempting to derail a grooming trial.

Receptionist Mahdiya Khan accessed a computer database 60 times to get details of a child sex victim.

She was jailed for eight months, but details have only just emerged. Three men have also been found guilty of interfering in the case.

Mohammed Imran Amjad, 26, was earlier jailed for four years and three months after he admitted abusing a child.

Five others were cleared of rape, sexual assault and child abduction at Burnley Crown Court in April.

Suspended and dismissed

Detectives realised Amjad's girlfriend, Mahdiya Khan, had tried to undermine the case. She was a receptionist working for Lancashire County Council social services in Burnley.

They found she accessed a confidential database 60 times over 15 days to find details of the witness and her family.

The county council said she was immediately suspended and dismissed.

A spokesman said: "When this security breach came to light, the advice from our data protection team was that no further practical steps could have been taken to prevent it from having occurred."

Three other people connected to Amjad had also attempted to interfere with the case.

His cousin Waqas Khalid threatened to rape the victim and her mother. His friend Qasim Hussain persuaded her to change her statement. His brother, Furqan Amjad, contacted the victim 350 times.