A SEX fiend from East Lancashire who attacked and raped three girls has been jailed for 14 years.

Shofik Ali, 22, drove them to a house where he forced them into a room, took their mobile phones and raped them.

Ali has been branded an ‘animal’ by a councillor for putting the girls through such an extended ordeal.

At one point he threatened to burn down the house unless one of the trio agreed to his demands during their ordeal, Bolton Crown Court was told.

Ali, of Wells Street, Haslingden, had been drinking with the girls while they were driven around East Lancashire, the court heard.

But later Ali turned nasty and dragged one girl into the bedroom of a house in Rochdale, jamming a bed against the door and demanding sex.

Before they could flee Ali raped all three, punching one girl on the nose so she would co-operate.

Ali denied four offences of rape and assault by penetration.

He was convicted of the four rapes and found not guilty of the assault.

Jailing him Judge Timothy Clayson also ordered him to sign the sex offenders’ register for life.

Speaking after the case, Coun David Stansfield, who represents Haslingden’s Worsley ward, where Ali lives, said: “He’s worse than an animal.

“The people of Haslingden will be pleased that this kind of offender is off our streets. If it was left to me he would have got 20 years.”

Prosecutor Peter Barr said the defendant and the girls, who were all younger than Ali, were driven around East Lancashire, buying alcohol and drinking it before ending up at a house in Rochdale.

An argument developed later, Ali began smashing up furniture and police were called.

Police officers took him away from the house and dropped him off at Rochdale bus station, so he could travel home to Haslingden.

But he went back to the same house and snatched mobile phones from the three girls, before grabbing one by the hair and pushing her towards a bedroom, the girl began screaming and crying, as Ali pushed the bed against the door and raped her.

Her friends then managed to force entry into the room.

While trapped in the bedroom all four eventually fell asleep but a second girl woke up when Ali began groping her, the court heard.

Ali forced himself on the girl and raped her before moving on to target the third girl. He also had sex with her against her will.

He then demanded sex from the first girl - threatening to keep her prisoner and burn down the flat if she failed to comply, the court heard.

The girls all eventually fled from the house and reported their ordeal to police, who arrested Ali the following day.

Ali has previously served a prison sentence when he was jailed for 18 months for conspiracy to defraud in December 2009 after he helped to launch a £96,000 eBay scam.