Salim family in Channel Four documentary

Mohammed and Noreen Salim and their eleven children spent months being followed by cameras for a one-off documentary, shown last night (Thursday 22 May) on Channel Four, about big families called '13 Kids and Wanting More'.

Mr Salim explain in the documentary that his large family came about because he doesn’t want to "interfere with God’s doing" by using contraception - Mr Salim said producers were keen to focus on the religious reasons behind his large family.

The programme also showed a health visitor warning the couple about the strain being put on Mrs Salim’s body by her numerous pregnancies.

Local reaction to the Salims following the showing of the documentary has been scathing, Linda Philips of Wardle said: "The house is a dump and the kids were lying on dirty mattresses with no sheets or duvet covers, who would let the cameras into a home like that? Have they no shame? I think Mr Salim has shown himself up."

Ms Philips also congratulated a man shown on Yorkshire Street taking Mr Salim to task about not working to keep his family.

Heywood Councillor Susan Emmott said: "What saddens me is that some people might take the view that he is somehow representative of Rochdale, or indeed of the Asian Community in Rochdale. He only represents himself and all the Asian people I know in Rochdale see him as something of an embarrassment."

Littleborough resident Alsion Unwin likened Mr Salim to an "Asian Lizzie B" (refering to the notorious Lizzie Bardsley).

Mr Salim is currently filming for a Channel Five show called 'Seven Deadly Sins' that focuses on the sin ‘Sloth’ after revealing earlier this year that the family survive on state benefits.