TWO men have been jailed for five years and eight months after abducting underage girls and having sex with them.

Judge Andrew Gilbart QC condemned Zulfar Hussain, 46, and Qaiser Naveed, 32, for "exploiting" the vulnerable under 16s who were in social services care.

Hussain, of Cowell Way, Blackburn, admitted abducting a child, sexual activity with the same child and supplying the youngster with ecstasy. Naveed, of Colne Road, Burnley, Naveed, pleaded guilty to the same set of offences.

Julian Taylor, prosecuting, told Preston Crown Court that the first girl lived at a children's home in Lancashire.

The second girl had been placed with foster parents but - because of her persistent truancy - she was moved to a children's home in Wales.

The girls had become involved in sexual relationships with Hussain and Naveed in around October 2005 - they would often spend the night together at a home in Walter Street, Blackburn.

One night in February 2006, the first girl was picked up by Naveed and Hussain in the latter's BMW. The alarm was raised by social services after the girl was reported missing from her children's home.

Sally Barnes, a social services team leader, obtained a mobile phone number for Hussain and informed the older pair that the girl was under 16 and was officially missing.

Hussain and Naveed were driving to Wales, with the youngster, to pick up the second girl, at an Asda store, the court was told.