Sallie George
Journalist, BBC News

The prosecution at Sheffield Crown Court is now outlining details of a third alleged victim of child sexual exploitation in Rotherham. 

The girl was 12 and living at a children's home when she met defendant Basharat Hussain.

The prosecution say she was picked up in a taxi by Mr Hussain and two other men,  taken to a restaurant in Rotherham and bought a meal. When driving her back to the children's home she was made to perform a sex act on Hussain and two other men in the car. 

More evidence has been heard at Sheffield Crown Court in the trial of five men and two women charged in relation to alleged child sexual exploitation in Rotherham.

The second alleged victim, who is now 36, was subjected to regular sex attacks by Arshid Hussain (pictured in front below), prosecutors said.

Image source, Press Association

The jury was told he passed her round to other men when she was in the care of the local authority.  

Prosecutor Michelle Colborne QC said: "His exploitation of [her] was violent and protracted. Initially she attempted to say no but was always beaten if she refused and quickly learned to give in to his demands. He passed her to his brother and friends and, over time, gave her as a payment to men for debts he owed."

Prosecutor Michelle Colborne said the first alleged victim, who is now 43, was befriended by the two women defendants - Shelley Davies (pictured left) and Karen MacGregor - in the late 1980s. 

Image source, PA

She said that one night she passed out in Ms MacGregor's house after drinking vodka with a group of about six men and the girl woke up to find herself being sexually assaulted by an unknown man. She said she shouted for help but no-one came. 

Ms Colborne said: "(She) was plied with vodka to a point where she was incapacitated and taken upstairs by Karen MacGregor with the intention that the unidentified male would have sexual intercourse with her." 

She told the jury of six men and six women: "Was Karen MacGregor a kind and generous member of society, allowing vulnerable teenage girls to stay at her home out of the goodness of her heart, or was there some motive behind it all? 

"The prosecution say she deliberately set out to make girls available for sexual encounters with older men."   

The prosecution has started making its case in a trial of five men and two women accused of sexual exploitation of teenage girls in Rotherham over a 10-year period.

Opening the case for the prosecution, Michelle Colborne QC told Sheffield Crown Court one defendant, Arshid Hussain, 40, - known as Mad Ash - played a key role. She said:

Arshid Hussain, 40, of High Street, East Cowick, Goole; Qurban Ali, 53, of Clough Road, Masborough, Rotherham; Majid Bostan, 37, of Ledsham Road, Broom, Rotherham; Sajid Bostan, 38, of Broom Avenue, Broom, Rotherham; Basharat Hussain, 39, of no fixed address; Karen MacGregor, 58, of Barnsley Road, Wath, South Yorkshire and Shelley Davies, 40, of Wainwright Road, Kimberworth Park, Rotherham, all deny a total of 63 charges between them.  

Teenage girls in Rotherham were "targeted, sexualised and in some instances subjected to acts of a degrading and violent nature", a jury has been told. 

Image source, ge

Five men and two women have gone on trial accused of roles in the sexual exploitation of children in the South Yorkshire town over a period of more than 10 years. 

Opening the case for the prosecution, Michelle Colborne QC told Sheffield Crown Court:

South Yorkshire fire service say they now have three crews damping down at the waste plant on Derwent Way at Brampton where recycled rubbish has been alight for several hours.

Image source, SYFR

They expect to be there for the rest of the morning and the investigation into how it began will start once the fire is completely out.

The smoke being sent into the air around the plant isn't as heavy as earlier this morning but people in the immediate vicinity are still advised to keep their doors and windows closed.

Kate Linderholm
BBC Local Live

The top stories in Sheffield and South Yorkshire this morning include: 

• Transport minister Andrew Jones is in Sheffield to officially welcome the city's first tram trains
• There'll be talks this afternoon at Listerdale primary school in Rotherham in an effort to resolve a strike over a suspended head teacher
• Fire crews are damping down after a waste plant at Brampton caught alight 

There'll be talks this afternoon at Listerdale primary school in Rotherham in an effort to sort out a dispute about the suspension of a head teacher. 

Members of the National Union of Teachers (NUT) are on a fifth day of strike action. Fred Sprague, a local NUT official, has been at the picket line today. He says he regrets the inconvenience caused to parents and says they are keen to resolve the situation: 

A 57-year-old man has died after a car crash in Doncaster yesterday afternoon.

The man was in a black Mercedes going along the Thorne Road towards the town centre at about 15:00 when he crashed. He died at the scene. 

No other vehicles were involved in the collision and officers are appealing to anyone who may have witnessed the collision, external to get in touch.

Kate Linderholm
BBC Local Live

The transport minister Andrew Jones is in Sheffield today to officially welcome the city's first tram train.

Image source, SYPTE

He's at a ceremony at the Nunnery Square tram depot. The tram train is designed to run on both city tramlines and the main rail network. 

Services are expected to run from Sheffield to Rotherham from early 2017.

Some businesses in the Doncaster area are already seeing benefits from yesterday's announcement that the second stage of the Tour de Yorkshire on Saturday 30 April will end in the town.

The cycle race will also pass through Conisbrough, Tickhill (pictured) and Bawtry before finishing in Doncaster town centre. 

Katie Dent, from the Crown Hotel in Bawtry, says they're already getting bookings for the event.  

Members of the National Union of Teachers (NUT) at a school in Rotherham are striking for a fifth day. 

Teachers at Listerdale Primary School are taking action over the suspension of the headteacher. 

Yesterday, the NUT said it had reported two parents to the police for abusive and aggressive behaviour at a picket line, but things appear to be calmer at today's picket.   

Kat Harbourne

People in the Brampton area of Rotherham are being advised to keep their doors and windows closed as there's a lot of smoke coming from a fire at a waste plant on Derwent Way off Barnsley Road.  

There are some dramatic pictures from the fire at its height early this morning.

Image source, SYFS

Four fire engines are at the site. Jim Oakes, the fire station manager, has this advice for residents:

Kate Linderholm
BBC Local Live

The top stories in Sheffield and South Yorkshire include:

• A fire at a waste recycling plant in Brampton in Rotherham is sending up a large plume of smoke
• A Sheffield firefighter is appealing for donations to help people affected by the floods in Cumbria
• Transport minister Andrew Jones is in Sheffield to officially welcome the city's first tram train

A retired firefighter from Sheffield is appealing for donations to help people affected by the floods in Cumbria. 

Bob Addenbrooke, from Chapeltown, is looking for cleaning supplies, two-way radios and manpower.

Image source, BBC Sport

He's been talking to Toby Foster on BBC Radio Sheffield:

If you can help please leave your details via BBC Radio Sheffield's reception on 0114 273 1177 and they'll be passed on to Bob.

People living in Brampton are being advised to take precautions because of smoke from the large fire on Derwent Way:

About 20 firefighters are tackling a waste recycling blaze at an industrial site in Rotherham.

The fire broke out at the premises in Derwent Way at about 01:15.

South Yorkshire Fire Service is advising people living nearby to keep their windows and doors shut due to a "large smoke plume" coming from the site.

Kay Crewdson
Weather presenter, BBC Look North

Rain especially heavy in Pennine areas, so be careful if you're commuting. A high of 9C.

Kate Linderholm
BBC Local Live

Hello South Yorkshire, it's Kate wishing you well this dark, wet Thursday morning. I'll be looking after your Local Live page until 18:00 today, with all the top news stories including information shortly about a big fire overnight at a waste recycling plant in Rotherham. Here's a picture taken by our reporter on site.

There'll also be regular updates on sport, weather and travel. 

Got a story or a picture you'd like to share on BBC Local Live? We'd love to hear from you.