BOLTON actress Maxine Peake will star in a gritty drama telling the true stories of victims of grooming and sexual abuse in Rochdale.

Filming begins this week on Three Girls, a three part BBC One drama based on the experiences of girls who were groomed in Rochdale between 2008 and 2012, for which nine men were convicted and sentenced.

Maxine and Scott and Bailey actress Lesley Sharp will play two women who were instrumental in getting the girls’ voices heard. The drama will focus on how they were failed by the authorities.

Others set to appear in the drama include Bury actress Lisa Riley, who will play a parent of one of the victims.

Nicole Taylor, writer of the drama, said: "Whatever I thought I knew about what had happened in Rochdale, I knew nothing until I met the girls and their families.

"Listening to them was the beginning of understanding — not just of the terrible suffering they experienced, but of the courage it took to persist and persist over years, in telling authorities who didn’t want to know, and ultimately participate in the court proceedings that brought justice."

The three hour-long shows have been created with the co-operation of the victims and their families.

Nazir Afzal, former Chief Crown Prosecutor for the North West, who will be portrayed in the show, said: "The Rochdale case was both groundbreaking and heartbreaking.

"It forced every agency to look at their ways of working afresh and the creation of the first guidance for prosecutors, police, and local authorities.

"The case caused seismic and long-overdue change in the way trials involving vulnerable victims were dealt with. At last, victims had a voice."

Philippa Lowthorpe, director of the show, added: "It's both a privilege and a responsibility to be allowed to tell this powerful, true story.

"I have huge respect for the girls and their families for sharing their experiences with us. It’s through their courage in speaking out that we can try to understand the devastating effects of grooming.

"During the research, not only was it incredibly moving hearing the stories of the girls and their families, but also the experiences of those who fought to protect the girls and bring the perpetrators to justice."