THREE girls were taken from an East Lancashire street, plied with booze and driven 20 miles to a hotel room for sex.

Yesterday two men admitted abducting the teenagers as police hailed their latest victory in the battle against the sexual exploitation of children.

Azeem Shah and Tabassum Shah lured the girls into their car off a street in Nelson and plied them with drink.

They invited the teens, aged 14 and 15, to a party at the Travelodge at M65 Darwen Service Station 20 miles away at 8pm on August 17 last year.

But police said this was a ploy. Instead the cousins booked two hotel rooms on the drive over and spent several hours there with the youngsters.

And it was thanks to the vigilance of the Travelodge manager that the pair were caught.

He was suspicious as the girls looked under-age and alerted police.

Officers swooped on the rooms and rescued the girls at 1am.

After the case Detective Sergeant Mark Whelan: “This is a pretty shocking crime.

"The girls had only met the two men once a few nights before they were taken.

“No grooming had taken place and we believe the men went out on the off-chance of finding them that night.

“Both groups had been drinking alcohol and were drunk when officers went to the hotel.”

Det Sgt Whelan praised the work of the Operation Engage team, which was set up in 2005 as the Lancashire Telegraph’s Keep Them Safe campaign first highlighted the problem of gangs grooming girls for sex.

He said: “It is another excellent result for the team and shows what fantastic work is going on and that Engage is definitely working.

“This means another three children are protected and two more offenders have been brought to justice.

“We are happy with the result as it means the court has accepted what the children said was true and means the children don’t have to give evidence in court.”

Azeem Shah had been charged with engaging in sexual activity with a child.

But that will remain on file after his plea to abduction.

Not proceeding with the charge would spare the girls having to relive their ordeal before a jury, the court heard.

The judge was told the girls had 'complied' in the abduction and sexual behaviour, and even set their parents on a 'false trail'.

DS Whelan, who leads the specialist Operation Engage team, praised staff at the Travelodge for alerting them to the situation.

“The manager of the hotel rang police after learning the group were at the hotel,” he said, “as he thought the girls looked under age.

“As a result police were quickly at the hotel and the two men and three girls were found preparing to leave the hotel at around 1am.”

The Shahs were interviewed by police and video statements were taken from the three children, who were prepared to give evidence in court.

Azeem Shah, 23, of Vernon Street, Nelson, and Tabassum Shah, 24, of Railway Street, Nelson, will be sentenced at Burnley Crown Court on June 4.

Judge Simon Newell told the pair that they would probably be looking at a community order or suspended sentence.

The Lancashire Telegraph's Keep Them Safe campaign highlighted the increasing problem of gangs of men in their 20s grooming young girls into sex.

Girls are typically plied with gifts and praise as they are groomed into trusting the men.

Then they are ruthlessly exploited.

Over the past five years police have managed to secure a number of successful prosecutions against those involved.

But the problem is still a major concern.

Last year, in unconnected cases, it was revealed girls were being taken to gatherings where they were forced to have sex with a number of men.