Eight men were due to appear in court today charged in connection with the sexual exploitation of children, including the rape of a girl under 13.

The men, aged between 28 and 45, were held after a series of early morning raids at 11 addresses in Buckinghamshire and Middlesex.

One of the men is charged with three counts of raping a girl under the age of 13.

Up to 120 Thames Valley Police officers searched addresses in Buckinghamshire and Middlesex at 7am on Tuesday.

Seven of the searches took place in Aylesbury, while the other four were made in Milton Keynes, Buckingham, Chesham and Hayes, police said.

The offences relate to two alleged female victims in the Aylesbury area between 2005 and 2012, according to a force spokesman.

The men were due to appear in custody at Milton Keynes Magistrates' Court today.

Three other men, aged 30, 40 and 30 arrested in connection with the inquiry were released without charge, police added.

Police said the men charged are: Arshad Jani, 32, of Aylesbury, who faces a charge of rape, conspiracy to rape and one count of sexual activity with a child.

Vikram Singh, 45, of Aylesbury, is charged with seven counts of rape of a girl under the age of 16 and one count of administering a substance with the intent of committing a sexual offence, while Asif Hussain, 32, of Milton Keynes, is charged with three counts of rape of a girl under 13 and one count of arranging or facilitating the prostitution of a child.

Jerome Joe, 35, of Buckingham, is charged with one count of sexual activity with a girl under the age of 16, and Sohail Qamar, 40, of Aylesbury, is charged with one count of rape of a child under the age of 16 and one count of sexual activity with a child.

Akbari Khan, 35, of Aylesbury, is charged with two counts of rape of a girl under the age of 16, one count of conspiracy to rape and two counts of administering a substance with the intent of committing a sexual offence.

Taimoor Khan, 28, of Aylesbury, is charged with two counts of rape of a girl under 16, one count of conspiracy to rape a child and one count of administering a substance with the intent of committing a sexual offence.

Sajid Ali, 34, of Chesham, is charged with count of rape of a girl under the age of 16, one count of conspiracy to rape a girl under the age of 16, one count of sexual activity with a child and one count of administering a substance with the intent of committing a sexual offence.