A man from Bradford was taken to Oxford to have sex with one of the victims of a paedophile ring.

Police and social workers have apologised for not protecting vulnerable girls who were sexually abused and exploited by the gang.

Girls were drugged and raped when they were supposed to be in the care of the authorities. Seven men were found guilty on Tuesday of a catalogue of offences including rape, trafficking and organising prostitution over eight years involving six girls as young as 11 in the Oxford area. They will be sentenced next month.

Police missed several chances to catch gang members before they were arrested. Victims relived their ordeals during the five- month trial, describing how they were groomed, beaten, betrayed and sold into prostitution around the country.

The trial heard how men would travel from Bradford, Leeds, London and Slough to pay to have sex with the girls in appointments arranged by the gang.

A spokesman for Thames Valley Police said they had liaised with West Yorkshire Police on the inquiry. The spokesman said: “One of the girls gave evidence about one man from Bradford being brought to Oxford to have sex with her. Inquiries were made to try and locate him but he was never identified or traced. There are no further inquiries in connection with him.”