FOUR men charged with modern slavery and forced labour offences have gone on trial.

Michael Joyce, 59, John Joyce, 34, Michael Joyce, 26, all of Redbridge Hollow, and David Boiling, 33, of Northfield Close, Littlemore, are each charged with five counts involving alleged forced labour

The alleged abuse was carried out over a period spanning nearly two years, prosecutors involved in the case maintain.

As their trial at Oxford Crown Court officially got under way yesterday all four men for the first time entered formal pleas of not guilty to all five of the counts they are charged with.

All four are charged with two counts of requiring a person to perform compulsory labour and two counts of arranging or facilitating travel of a person with a view to exploitation.

They are also each charged with one further count of carrying on a regulated activity when not an authorised or exempt person - the activity being money lending.

The offences are alleged to have involved two victims and the men were all charged in June this year after raids at three properties at Redbridge Hollow, off Old Abingdon Road, Oxford, and in Littlemore.

Police were assisted in those raids by the National Crime Agency, the South East Regional Organised Crime Unit and Oxfordshire County Council as part of the investigation into the alleged offences.

The criminal activity is alleged to have taken place between April 1 2016 and January 31 2018.

Appearing at the court yesterday at the first day of trial a jury panel was selected and sworn in on before the case was adjourned.

Presiding Judge Ian Pringle QC will oversee the case which is expected to last three weeks and is expected to resume today.