An Ipswich woman who claims she was locked in a loft and left without food and drink for three days escaped by kicking the door open and running to a neighbour for help, a court heard.

Minique Rivett decided to make her bid for freedom eight hours after she last heard her captors' voices in the house in Tottenham where she was being held against her will, Ipswich Crown Court heard.

After the incident Miss Rivett, who owed money for drugs, told police that two men had come to the house where she was living in Spring Road, Ipswich and had tied her up before taking her to London and locking her in a loft.

During her ordeal she was allegedly left without food and water and was punched in the stomach three times and slapped in the face.

She was also allegedly told that if her grandfather got a loan of £10,000 "everything would be fine" for her.

Miss Rivett said that after she was allegedly punched and assaulted she had attempted to kill herself.

After three days, she stopped hearing her captors' voices and waited eight hours before kicking the door open and running to a neighbour's house, she told the court.

Before the court are Louie Charles, 19, of Wivenhoe Park, Colchester; Tye Parker, 20, of Burr Close, Harwich; Mubarak Jaye, 18, of Seward Street, London and Cuthbert Charles, 58, of Featherstone, Wolverhampton.

Louie Charles, Parker and Jaye have denied falsely imprisoning Miss Rivett in March and Louie Charles and Parker also deny blackmail.

Louie Charles and Parker also deny kidnapping Laurel Aiken in March and Louie Charles, Cuthbert Charles and Parker deny falsely imprisoning him.

Miss Rivett told police she had been told by two men on March 4 this year that she owed money and was instructed to get the owner of the house where she was living to get a loan to settle the debt.

She was allegedly tied up before being taken to a house in Tottenham where she was locked in the loft.

The court heard that Laurel Aiken, who lived in the house in Tottenham where Miss Rivett was held against her will, was allegedly kidnapped and held against his will at Cuthbert Charles's flat in Wolverhampton.

The trial continues.