‘Three Girls’ viewers furious after BBC’s Rochdale grooming gang drama reveals how heroine Sara Rowbotham played by Maxine Peake was FIRED

VIEWERS of BBC's child sex abuse drama Three Girls have vented their fury after it was revealed the sexual health worker who flagged more than 100 cases was made redundant.

The extensive work performed by Sara Rowbotham was highlighted in the three-part drama that focuses on the 2012 grooming and sex trafficking, with the worker having claimed social services missed 181 chances to stop young girls being groomed for sex.

But Ms Rowbotham, who is played by Maxine Peake, was told she was ";excluded from future initiatives on child grooming" and later fired.

She had become depressed and ill from the stress during the case, ultimately losing her job in 2014.

Her treatment was slammed by viewers of Three Girls, who instead said she should have been knighted for her efforts to expose the horrific child sex abuse ring.

Viewers took to social media to vent their frustration, with one writing: "Can't help but feel Sara Rowbotham was royally screwed over (in) the 2008 Rochdale case. She's a hero in my eyes."

Another wrote: "Surprise Surprise - the two women who helped these girls - one resigned, one made redundant - the system stinks!!!!"

A third wrote: "Sara Rowbotham the only person who actually did something gets excluded and then made redundant?!? Really? Disgusting!"

Others argued police should have been held responsible for their lack of action, writing: "No police officers were prosecuted for their failings but Sara Rowbotham was their saviour and lost her job? Disgrace".

Ms Rowbotham is now a Labour councillor for Rochdale Borough Council and is starting her life again after years of working on stressful cases.

The exposure of the grooming, sexual assault and trafficking of young girls in Rochdale was made public in 2012.

It resulted in the conviction of nine men for offences including rape on girls as young as 13 between 2005 and 2008.

Sexual health worker Sara Rowbotham spent years trying to get police, the council and social workers to take the grooming seriously.

Ms Rowbotham told the 2012 inquiry bosses ignored scores of warnings that girls were being groomed and sexually exploited as early as 2004 – four years earlier than previously thought.

The sexual health worker, who led an NHS crisis team, said she made 181 referrals for young people between 2005 and 2011.

But at the time of the inquiry she said she was only aware of nine prosecutions.

She said: “We were making referrals from 2004, very explicit referrals, referrals which absolutely highlighted for protective services that young people were incredibly vulnerable.

“It was unfortunate that it was about attitudes towards teenagers. It was absolute disrespect that vulnerable young people did not have a voice.

“They were overlooked, they were discriminated against. They were treated appallingly by protective services.

“I told everybody these children were being abused. As far as I’m concerned, I told everybody.”