A KEIGHLEY councillor has moved to clarify quotes attributed to him in the national press about the outcome of Keighley's child sex grooming case in which he said it “takes two to tango”.

Keighley Central ward member Zafar Ali was interviewed following the sentencing of 12 men last week, who either raped or sexually abused a teenage girl at different locations in the town.

But he came in for widespread condemnation after stating: “It takes two to tango.

“There are bad apples, but it doesn’t mean to say everyone is bad.

"There is some feeling from some people that she played her part in it, the victim had a part to play, I couldn't make any comment on that but it is not widespread."

But Cllr Ali this week totally rejected any suggestion the victim of the abuse was in some way partly responsible.

He said: "While I welcome the interest in this horrendous case, I'd like to clarify what I said to the reporter, as it may not have conveyed what I wished to say to readers.

"In brief, it is important to be aware that, sadly, a small number of people, including people within the Muslim community, do take the view that the victim is partly to blame – as I foolishly put it, who believe that it ‘takes two to tango’.

"I want to make clear that, like nearly everyone else, I do not believe the victim is in any way responsible for the crimes committed against her.

"However, it is important we recognise and confront those who have this mindset in order to defeat it.”

Cllr Ali added: "Like nearly all of my fellow Muslims, I want to see these gangs of paedophiles removed from our community and imprisoned for a long time, whilst any sympathisers are educated on how totally misguided and abhorrent their views are to the rest of us.

"The men who committed these awful crimes are a stain on our community and have done untold damage to Keighley as a town."

Cllr Ali said he unreservedly supported the lengthy prison sentences given to the paedophile gang, and welcomed the comments made by judge Roger Thomas QC, who had condemned the defendants' arrogant and disrespectful behaviour in court during the trial.

Cllr Ali said: "Those who even remotely think the victim had a part to play in her own abuse need their heads examining.

"She has suffered enough and has showed remarkable courage in coming forward to identify the perpetrators.

"We now need to work to safeguard the most vulnerable girls in our town to make sure this never happens again."