VULNERABLE BOY ‘SOLD FOR SEX’

ANOTHER cold day, best of the sunshine in the south. More in the way of cloud over northern, central and western parts where there’ll be a few showers.

Highs of 7C in London, 6C in Cardiff, 5C in Manchester, 6C in Belfast and 4C in Edinburgh.

Mostly fine but cold with occasional showers on Thursday. Overnight frost.

Highs of 8C in London, 6C in Cardiff, 5C in Manchester, 6C in Belfast, 3C in Edinburgh.

OUTLOOK: More cloud. A VULNERABLE teenage boy in local authority care was subjected to a “horrifying and appalling” series of rapes and repeatedly sold for sex in a red light district, a court has heard.

The trial of 12 men accused of committing a variety of sexual offences against the boy, mainly in the Birmingham area, was told he has been left “traumatised”.

Opening the case against the defendants at Warwick Crown Court, prosecutor Rosina Cottage QC said the complainant – now aged in his early 20s – was first spoken to by police in 2009.

Ms Cottage said: “Regrettably, his contemporaneous complaints were not fully investigated by West Midlands Police in 2009 and 2010.”

But during a subsequent inquiry in 2012, the teenager – who cannot be identified because of a court order – was able to point police towards those involved in his alleged exploitation.

Ms Cottage said former Special Constable with Warwickshire Police, 78-year-old Ronald Potter, from Fillongley, near Coventry, was among those standing trial for the alleged abuse.

Ten of the 12 defendants – aged between 25 and 78 and from the West Midlands, London and Stoke-on-Trent – deny arranging or facilitating child prostitution.

Other charges include offences of rape, attempted rape, sexual activity with a child and engaging in sexual activity in the presence of a child.

The trial continues.