WORSHIPPERS at about 500 British mosques on Friday heard sermons condemning the sexual grooming of children, after a number of high-profile paedophilia cases involving Muslim gangs.

The latest case involves seven men, most of Pakistani origin, who were convicted of operating a paedophile grooming ring in the university city of Oxford. Five were given life sentences on Thursday and two jailed for seven years.

"We have been horrified by the details that have emerged from recent court cases and as Muslims we feel a natural responsibility to condemn and tackle this crime," said Ansar Ali, spokesman of campaign group Together Against Grooming (TAG).

"The Koran and traditions of our prophet exhort us to act against evil and injustice, and create just societies," he said.

The campaign has been supported by key Muslim groups, including the Muslim Council of Britain (MCB), the Mosque and Imams National Advisory Board and the Islamic Society of Britain.

Far-right groups such as the English Defence League and the British National Party have taken advantage of the grooming cases to stir up anti-Muslim hatred.

The sermon also comes at a time when community relations have been strained by the murder of a British soldier in the London suburb of Woolwich by two suspected Muslim extremists.

There has been an increase in attacks on Muslims and Islamic centres since the killing in May, according to community groups.

"The combination of publicity from a number of these (grooming) cases hitting the headlines in a short space of time and the fallout from the Woolwich case will create a major challenge for the Muslim community," congregations were told in the sermon.

The men convicted as part of the grooming ring in Oxford used drinks and drugs to subdue their victims - mainly young, white girls - as well as beating and burning them.

They raped the girls, forced them to have sex with other men and also offered them to other men for payment.

It follows several other cases which have also hit headlines, including in Derby, Rochdale, Rotherham and Telford.

In some of the cases authorities have been criticised for not taking action soon enough for fear of being accused of racism.