FOUR men arrested on suspicion of sexually exploiting six girls who were raped and abused in Banbury for seven years have been released on bail.

On Tuesday morning, 40 police officers unleashed dawn raids at homes in Banbury and Chipping Norton in the hunt for child sex predators.

A 52-year-old man from Banbury has been arrested on suspicion of conspiracy to rape a female under 16, four counts of rape of a female under 16, rape of a female over 16, two counts of indecent assault of a female under 16, making an indecent photograph of a child and two counts of false imprisonment.

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A 47-year-old man from Chipping Norton has been arrested on suspicion of conspiracy to rape a female under 16, two counts of rape to a female under 16, a rape of a female over 16.

A 48-year-old man from Banbury has been arrested on suspicion of conspiracy to rape a female under 16, two counts of rape of a female under 16, rape of a female over 16, and two counts of indecent assault on a female under 16.

A 44-year-old man from Banbury was arrested on suspicion of a count each of conspiracy to rape a female under 16, and rape a female under 16.

All have been released on bail.