NINE out of 10 social workers caring for young teenage girls knew they were drinking and taking drugs with Asian men, the Old Bailey heard this morning.

The trial of nine men accused of running a child sex exploitation gang heard evidence from a support worker at a school where unnamed complainants Girl 4 and 5 went.

In a statement from December last year the counsellor said girls at the school would talk about mixing with Asian men and taking drugs.

She said: "It would be different groups from different years. A repetition of students saying the same thing.

"They all had specific needs, backgrounds, and emotional needs."

She said anything of note would be reported to social workers, adding: "Nine out of 10 of the social workers responsible for the individuals were aware of what was going on."

Girl 4, who claims she was raped and prostitued by Mohammed and Bassam Karrar from the age of 11, attended the group sessions.

The support worker, who worked at the school for 10 years, said: "It was Mo this, Mo that.

"It was like he had a hold on her and she had a hold on him."

The counsellor said Girl 4 would be "protective" of other girls and tell them they needed to tell someone what was happening to them, adding: "She never considered she was their age and as vulnerable as they were."

Girl 5, now 16, claims she had sex with Zeeshan and Bilal Ahmed, and Mohammed and Assad Hussain, between the ages of 12 and 14.

The support worker said the teen was a "high priority" as she went missing "constantly".

She said it was well known she was attracted to Asian men.

She described the girl as a "self destructive", "unsettled", and said she had "major social and learning difficulties".

Police would have to be called to the school to restrain her, the court heard.

Reading the statement, prosecutor Neil Moore said: "When she absconded she would take younger students with her.

"(Girl 5) would receive a call on her mobile phone and she would go around the school gathering younger female students.

"All these girls were ignorant and naive. They were highly vulnerable girls."

But Girl 5 did not understand why she should not be hanging around with men, the jury heard.

The support worker said: "She was very easily led.

"At times she was not even on this planet"

The counsellor said the girl lost weight and talked about pregnancy and sex disease tests.

She also said the child received sexually explicit text messages.

The court also heard how the defendants were identified as Thames Valley Police identification officer Richard Bull took the stand.

All nine defendants deny all charges against them. The trial continues.

The accused all deny the charges. They are:

- Kamar Jamil, 27, of Aldrich Road, Summertown, Oxford, denies four rapes, three charges of conspiracy to rape, two of arranging or facilitating child prostitution, and one of trafficking for sexual exploitation.
- Akhtar Dogar, 32, of Tawney Street, East Oxford, denies six rapes, three charges of conspiracy to rape, three of arranging or facilitating child prostitution, and trafficking for sexual exploitation.
- Anjum Dogar, 31, of Tawney Street, East Oxford, denies four rapes, three charges of conspiracy to rape, three of arranging or facilitating child prostitution, and trafficking for sexual exploitation.
- Assad Hussain, 32, of Ashhurst Way, Rose Hill, Oxford, denies two charges of conspiracy to rape and three of sexual activity with a child.
- Mohammed Karrar, 38, of Kames Close, Cowley, Oxford, denies seven rapes, four charges of conspiracy to rape, an alternative charge of conspiracy to commit sexual activity with a child, two of trafficking for sexual exploitation, two of arranging or facilitating child prostitution, assault, conspiracy to assault, using an instrument to procure a miscarriage, and supplying a Class A drug to another.
- Bassam Karrar, 33, of Hundred Acres Close, Cowley, Oxford, denies three rapes, three charges of conspiracy to rape, two charges of arranging or facilitating child prostitution, trafficking for sexual exploitation, and conspiracy to assault.
- Mohammed Hussain, 24, of Horspath Road, Cowley, Oxford, denies rape, conspiracy to engage in sexual activity with a child, and two charges of sexual activity with a child.
- Zeeshan Ahmed, 27, of Palmer Road, Wood Farm, Oxford, denies two charges of conspiracy to engage in sexual activity with a child and two charges of sexual activity with a child.
- Bilal Ahmed, 26, of Suffolk Road, Maidenhead, denies conspiracy to engage in sexual activity with a child and sexual activity with a child.