A GANG of masked men burst into a flat in the early hours of the morning before setting on two sleeping men and stealing a number of items, a court heard.

Callum Mawle, 21, of Corn Street, Witney, and George Baker, 19, of Hilliat Fields, Abingdon, both deny two counts of wounding with intent and one of theft.

As their trial at Oxford Crown Court got under way today jurors were told by prosecutors that a group of men had burst into a flat at Rachel House, Dashwood Place, Banbury, about 5am on May 7 last year.

Jurors were shown CCTV footage of the hallway outside the flat where a woman opens the front door to a group of men who then march up the stairs before racing into a flat in which their two alleged victims are sleeping.

Each of the group of four are wearing masks and some are seen wielding weapons including a spanner, the court heard.

The whole ordeal lasted a matter of minutes, jurors were told, which saw one of the alleged victims running out of the flat wearing just his underwear before fleeing the scene.

A second victim, prosecutors claim, was seen by CCTV cameras to try and leave the flat before he is stopped by one man and is then punched in the head by a man alleged to have been Baker.

Both of the alleged victims in the assault needed treatment for their injuries and photographs shown to the jury appeared to show a number of cuts to the top of one man’s head and blood drenched all down his torso.

The court went on to hear yesterday that another man who is involved in the proceedings - Christian Collins – has since pleaded guilty to his part in the attack while a fourth man - Ellis Hall, will not stand trial due to a long-term health problem.

The two men deny all charges and the trial continues.