THREE men who joined in the 'appalling' gang rape of a drunken teenage girl have been jailed.

The trio took advantage of their young victim when she was 'intoxicated and helpless' a court was told.

While they carried out a series of sexual assaults, one of their friends took pictures on a mobile phone camera.

The girl's mother called her mobile phone during the attacks, only to hear the cries of her daughter on the end of the line.

Ajmal Afridi ,19, of Merefield Street, Rochdale, Imtiaz Syed, 20, of Ellesmere Street, Rochdale and Tayab Hussain, 19, of Henry Street, Rochdale, all pleaded guilty to rape.

They were each given custodial sentences at Bolton Crown Court.

Detective Constable Charles Stewart, of Rochdale CID, said after the case: "These three animals have subjected the victim to the most appalling and demeaning crime.

“They took full advantage of a young, vulnerable girl with no considerations to the huge and devastating impact this has had on her.

“The fact this vile attack was filmed by another person has made this all the more difficult for the victim and they have rightly been given long sentences for their crimes.”

Afridi pleaded guilty to two rapes and sexual assault and was sentenced to six years in a young offenders' institution.

Syed pleaded guilty to rape and sexual assault and was also given a six-year sentence.

Hussain, who pleaded guilty to rape, was sentenced to three years in a young offenders' institution.

They were all banned indefinitely from working with children.

The girl was raped at a house in Rochdale on May 28 last year.

Passing sentence Judge William Morris said: "You each took advantage of her when she was intoxicated and helpless.

"This was spontaneous behaviour on the part of you all deciding as and when this opportunity arose."

He added: "At the time of committing these offences neither one of you had reason to believe she was consenting to what you were doing to her.

"She was incapable of such consent."

A victim statement read by Virginia Hayton, prosecuting, said the teenager felt violated and her self-esteem was low after the attack.

In October 17-year-old Mustafa Arshad of Melrose, Rochdale, was sentenced to eight months in a young offenders institution after he was convicted of using a mobile phone to take photographs of the assaults on the young girl.