ELEANOR Williams was in a 'consensual' sexual relationship with an Asian man she accused of being involved in exploiting her, a court has been told.

The 21-year-old is accused of perverting the course of justice by claiming she was the victim of grooming gang who trafficked her to 'parties' and sold her for sex.

Preston Crown Court heard Williams complained to the Barrow charity Women's Community Matters that a man was at her home in Steamer Street on Barrow Island.

She had been supported by the group having made allegations of sexual abuse to the police.

In a statement read out in court, Rachel Hogarth from the charity said: "She stated there was a male in her flat who she wanted to leave."

She said Williams told her there was diary in her flat that contained names of people who had groomed her.

She said she went with police to the flat to 'secure' the diary and took photos of it to send to the police.

Detective Inspector John Graham-Cumming said in a statement: "I received a call from Rachel Hogarth, an employee of Women's Community Matters.

"Rachel was supporting a female who I knew as Eleanor Williams.

"I had known Eleanor for a number of months as part of an ongoing investigation in which she claims to have been abused by mostly Asian men."

He said he arranged for officers to visit her home.

"They entered the flat with Rachel and encountered a man called Samid Miah in her bed who said he was a friend of Ellie's," he said.

The court was read messages exchanged between the pair over several days.

In one message he asked 'are you pregnant', adding he that 'would like to be aware of every development in your life'.

"If you got pregnant I would like to be there for you," he said in a later message.

Judge Robert Altham asked Jonathan Sandiford KC, prosecuting, if it was the prosecution's case that rather than the man 'trafficking her, seeking to exploit her and on occasion offering to pay for sex' the texts showed Williams was 'involved in a consensual friendship, indeed sexual relationship' with the person sending the messages.

Mr Sandiford said yes.

Williams, of Teasdale Road on Walney, denies seven charges of perverting the course of justice.

The trial continues.