KEIGHLEY has been described as being at the "top of the list" for organised groups of Asian men grooming young white girls by the town's MP.

Kris Hopkins was speaking after 12 men who raped or sexually abused a teenage girl were today locked up for a total of more than 143 years.

"I am very well aware that there are numerous white paedophiles out there and they should be dealt with just as harshly, but the sick model of organised groups of Asian men grooming young white girls to be sexually abused remains a blight at the heart of many communities across this country. And sadly Keighley is at the top of the list," the Conservative MP said.

In November 2012, Mr Hopkins spoke in Parliament of his horror that Asian men were raping white girls in Keighley.

"I was castigated from many quarters, received many abusive pieces of correspondence and on one occasion was forced to clear my constituency office after receiving a threat," he said.

Today's sentences revealed the "truth of the evil" he spoke about, Mr Hopkins said, adding he would continue to work police and ministers, including Home Secretary Theresa May, to uncover child grooming rings. He also pleaded for the community's help.

"Keighley’s proud name has been dragged through the mud too many times in recent years because of the heinous acts of sick men preying on vulnerable young girls," Mr Hopkins said.

In response, Detective Superintendent for Safeguarding Darren Minton said: "While Keighley is, understandably, in the headlines today, this type of crime has impacted on communities across Britain. Many of those cases have been well publicised.

"Child abuse takes many forms and what is important is that all communities remain vigilant and ensure that offenders are brought to justice."

Mr Hopkins said West Yorkshire Police had done an "outstanding job" in investigating the abuse.

The 12 men took "terrible and heartless sexual advantage" of the vulnerable schoolgirl, the Recorder of Bradford, Judge Roger Thomas QC said as he sentenced them.

Ten of the men were locked up after being convicted of raping the girl in the town when she was between 13 and 14. Another man was found guilty of sexual activity with the girl.

A 12th man pleaded guilty to rape and sexual activity with a child at the start of the trial.

The teenager was repeatedly raped by the men in encounters arranged by a violent drug dealer over 13 months between 2011 and 2012.

The drug dealer, described as the "evil mastermind" of the group, Arif Choudhury, is thought to have fled to Bangladesh. Choudhury, now 18 and formerly of Victoria Avenue, Keighley, was accused by the girl of raping her in the grounds of a church when she was 13 after she refused to sell anymore drugs for him.

On one occasion, the girl was gang-raped by five of the defendants who "lined her up" and took it turns to abuse her.

Judge Thomas said the men had been "heartless and demeaning" when the frightened girl "clearly demanded pity and understanding".

"They saw her as a pathetic figure who had no worth and who served no other purpose than to be an object that they could sexually misuse and cast aside," he said.

"They showed her no shred of decency or humanity when as a vulnerable child she so needed care and understanding."

He said the girl, and three other victims of some of the men, had suffered enormously.

"The damage caused by sexual offending lasts for a considerable time and cuts very deep into their lives and wellbeing for many, many years," Judge Thomas said.

Four of the men abused the girl in the underground car park of a disused police station in Keighley.

They lived near the old building where they would hang out and smoke cannabis extensively.

The girl was often forced to perform sex on the men and one time was there for several hours.

"There are many highly unpleasant details that [the victim] does give about what happened to her in the car park which reflect the degradation, humiliation and violence that she was subjected to," the judge said.

Those men were jailed first during today's hearing. Yasser Kabir, 25, of Belgrave Road, Keighley, was given 15 years for each of three counts of rape, to run concurrently. He was also sentenced for raping and abusing two little girls when he was a boy. One of the victims was between seven and nine when Kabir raped her and the other between six and seven.

Kabir was found guilty by a jury last year of four counts of rape, four counts of causing a child to engage in sexual activity and four of sexual assault.

He was given five years for those offences, to run consecutively to the 15 years, meaning he will serve 20.

Kabir’s half-brother, Tauqeer Hussain, also known as Toki, 23, of Belgrave Road, Keighley, was jailed for 13 years for two counts of rape, relating to two victims. He was given 13 years in relation to the Keighley schoolgirl, with five years added for raping a second girl, meaning he will serve 18 years.

Sufyan Ziarab, (Sufy) 23, of Kendal Mellor Court, Keighley, was given two concurrent 15 year sentences for two counts of rape. His brother, Bilal Ziarab, (Billy or Browny) 21, of Sedgwick Close, Manningham, Bradford, was given two concurrent 12-year sentences for rape.

Five of the men lined the girl up and took it in turns to rape her on Dalton Lane, in Keighley.

This was an example of the "the vile practice of Arif arranging and facilitating the gang rape of the girl", Judge Thomas said.

The girls was seen by the five as "something less than human", he added.

Nazir Khan (Khany) 24, of Buxton Street, Keighley; his brother, Faisal Khan, (Buller) 27, of Buxton Street, Keighley; and Saqib Younis (Saqi Butcher) 29, of Bradford Street, Lawkholme, Keighley, were all jailed for 13 years for one count of rape relating to Dalton Lane.

Hussain Sardar (Dolly) 19, of Bradford Street, Lawkholme, Keighley, will serve six years detention in a young offenders’ institution for one count of rape. Judge Thomas said the sentence reflected his then age of 15 years and the victim’s description of his “somewhat pathetic participation.”

Zain Ali (Droopy) 20, of Buxton Street, Keighley, was given an eight-year detention sentence.

Israr Ali, the youngest defendant in the dock, raped the schoolgirl when he was 15-years-old, about 18 months older than her. He was sentenced to three-and-a-half years in a young offender institute.

Ali, also known as Sari, now 19, of Devonshire Street West, Keighley, was told he took "vile sexual advantage" of the girl and looked upon her as "no more than a worthless object."

Mohammed Akram, 63, of Holker Street, Keighley, was convicted of sexual activity with the girl when he was 59 and she 14, in his cab.

He was jailed for five years.

The 12th man to be jailed, Khalid Raja Mahmood, is already behind bars for raping another victim.

He pleaded guilty at the start of the trial to twice raping the teenager, at Cliffe Castle Park and flats in Keighley, and three counts of sexual activity with a child.

Mahmood, 34, met the victim through another girl and "set about grooming her for sex" and offered drink and drugs.

The girl told police "Khalid raped me. It happened loads" and referred to him as "Creepy Khalid."

Judge Thomas said Mahmood, of Gordon Street, Keighley, was regarded as 'dangerous' under law and would therefore receive an extended sentence.

He was given extended concurrent sentences on each rape count for 17 years. The sentence includes 13-and-a-half years in custody and an extended licence period of three-and-a-half years.

He was given four-and-a-half years, to run concurrently, for the three sexual activity charges.