Eight bailed on 'sex ring' charges

Last Wednesday, Rotherham District Judge John Foster remanded them in custody after saying they may skip bail because the charges could attract life sentences.

But two days later, a judge in chambers at Sheffield Crown Court reversed the Mr Foster’s ruling and granted all eight bail.

And when the eight appeared for the first time at the higher court on Wednesday their bail was extended.

Members of the alleged sex ring were arrested in March in a series of early morning raids after being linked to yearlong offences, committed around Rotherham, involving three 13-year-old girls and one adult.

They were later released on police bail and had not been brought to court until their appearance before Mr Foster at Rotherham Magistrates’ Court last week.

Mr Foster condemned an eight-month delay in bringing the men—charged with a total of 16 rapes—to court as “absolutely scandalous.”

He said it was a “lamentable failure” on the part of the Crown Prosecution Service, who had waited since March to bring the men to court following their arrest.