'Telford sex ring' trial collapses
- Published
The trial of seven Telford men accused of sexual exploitation and child prostitution has collapsed after more than three months.
Judge Robin Onions discharged the jury from returning verdicts on 49 charges at Stafford Crown Court after hearing submissions from defence barristers.
The Crown Prosecution Service must now decide whether to seek re-trials.
The prosecution's position will be considered at Shrewsbury Crown Court on 20 September.
The seven defendants are Ahdel Ali, 23; Mubarek Ali, 28; Ali Sultan, 24; Tanveer Ahmed, 39; Mahroof Khan, 33; Noshad Hussain, 21; and Mohammed Islam Choudhrey, 52.
The men live in the Wellington and Sutton Hill areas of Telford and denied the charges relating to incidents alleged to have happened between 2007 and 2009.