SIX men have appeared in court charged with grooming and abusing six underage girls in Banbury.

The men, who appeared at Banbury Magistrates’ Court today, were charged with serious sex crimes last night after police raided five properties in the town on Tuesday.

The charges relate to five girls aged between 13 and 15 and are said to have taken place between 2011 and this year.

All of the men, who are aged between 19 and 21, were remanded in custody to appear at Oxford Crown Court on July 4.

The men are:

Ahmed Hassan-Sule, aged 20, of Glyndebourne Gardens, Banbury, charged with nine counts of sexual activity with a child.

Said Saleh, aged 20, of Orchard Way Banbury, charged with one count of sexual activity with a child.

Mohamed Saleh, aged 21, of Orchard Way, Banbury, charged with two counts of sexual activity with a child and one count of rape of a female under 16.

Takudzwa Hova, aged 21, of Broughton Road, Banbury, charged with one count sexual activity with a child, one count of causing or inciting a child to engage in sexual activity and one count of rape of a female under 16.

Kagiso Manase, aged 20, of Warwick Road, Banbury, charged with three counts of sexual activity with a child and two counts of causing or inciting a child to engage in sexual activity.

Alexandru Nae, aged 19, of Broome Way, Banbury, charged with one count of sexual activity with a child and one count of rape of a child under 16.