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SCOTTISH soldiers have been drafted in to deal with Libyan troops blamed for a string of sex attacks in England.

Members of a 300-strong contingent have allegedly run amok in a village near the camp where they are being trained.

Three Libyans have been charged with sex offences.

Troops from 2 Scots, the Royal Highland Fusiliers, had leave cancelled yesterday so they can back up police struggling to control trainees at Bassingbourn Barracks, Cambridgeshire.

Men from 3 Scots, the Black Watch, are giving the Libyans basic infantry skills and military leadership training. Meanwhile, police are probing nine sex attacks in Cambridge on October 17 and Sunday.

Three of the attacks came in just three hours in the city’s busy Market Square on Sunday. Bassingbourn councillor Adrian Dent said: “This is not the first unauthorised excursion from the barracks – there have been cases of between three and five people going over the fence in the past.

“There was talk that some of them tried to storm the guardhouse.

“There are talks with the police to have an increased presence of civilian police around the barracks. Clearly, steps have to be taken.”

Three Libyan troops were charged with the assaults in Market Square. Two of the men pleaded guilty at Cambridge Magistrates’ Court yesterday.

Ibrahim Naji El Maarfi, 20, admitted exposure and two sexual assaults. Mohammed Abdalsalam, 27, pleaded guilty to abusing a police officer and sexual assault.

But Khaled El Azibi, 18, refused to enter pleas on three counts of sexual assault and one of theft.

The court heard Abdalsalam and El Maarfi scaled the camp’s fence and stole bikes then cycled into Cambridge.

They stalked one woman and touched her in a lane before El Maarfi flashed at her. Then they tried to put their hands up two other women’s skirts.

Paul Brown, prosecuting, said: “The most serious aspect of it is there are three males targeting females under the cover of darkness.

“They are like a pack preying on women in the hours of darkness.”

El Maarfi, Abdelsalam and El Azibi were remanded. Police are still investigating a serious sexual assault on a man at about 2am on Sunday.

A Royal Regiment of Scotland source said: “Some of the boys have been told they need to get back into barracks and go down and help out 3 Scots.

“The lead element company is due to head down as soon as possible.

“All we have been told is that it has been kicking off down there with the Libyan troops who are training at

Bassingbourn. We just have to go down there and sort it out.”

A mixture of officers and other ranks are on the 10-week course. Up to 2000 Libyan soldiers will go through the course over a 15-month period.

An Army spokesman said the alleged sex attacks were a “matter for the civilian police”, who they were assisting with their inquiries.

He confirmed some Libyan soldiers had been causing trouble within the camp. The spokesman said most of the recruits responded well to the training programme.

But he added: “We can confirm that a disturbance took place last week where we are training the soldiers.

“This behaviour is unacceptable and steps are being taken to investigate the reasons behind it and if necessary take action against those involved.”