A WOMAN, accused of a campaign of child abuse, grabbed a screaming child's neck to stop him bashing his head against concrete after he had 'an episode' a court heard.

Lisa Pratt, 36, and Andrew Clent, 30, are alleged to have carried out a campaign of child abuse between January 2010 and April 2015.

As the trial at Oxford Crown Court continued yesterday Pratt told jurors how she had in fact been 'scared' of the children and had never hurt them.

The pair, both of Mercury Close, Bampton, each deny three counts of child cruelty and Pratt denies one count of assault occasioning actual bodily harm.

The offences against three children are alleged to have taken place at a number of addresses in Witney.

Pratt continued to give evidence as the trial continued yesterday.

Asked about one incident at a back garden in April in which a BBQ was being held and one of the children was allegedly assaulted by Pratt she denied pinning him down and kicking him.

She said there had been an argument with the child about not taking a shower and that he had been in a bad mood.

She said: "He was rolling around on the floor at the area by a shed. Mr Clent held him down to the floor.

"I don't know how because I was not outside at the time.

"He restrained him and held him down to the floor, I didn't see him at the beginning. They were rolling around for two to three minutes."

Answering questions from prosecutors Pratt then said that she had held the boy's neck but that it had only been to stop him from bashing his head on concrete.

She added: "I have nothing to hide from this, if I did I would have pleaded guilty and saved the government a lot of money."

Neighbours meanwhile recounted on Friday how a boy was screaming and saw him being pushed to the floor.

Prosecutors maintain that the alleged victim, who is now 19, was kicked during the ordeal.

Earlier in the trial the prosecution told the court how on other occasions the pair would hold 'eating competitions' at dinner time in which children would be 'force fed'.

One child was also allegedly strangled by a towel as a form of punishment before turning blue and passing out.

Pratt and Clent deny the charges. The trial continues.