The mother of an Ipswich woman who was allegedly locked in a loft at a house in London for four days had a drug debt, a court has heard.

In a police video interview played to a jury at Ipswich Crown Court on Thursday ( January 6) Clare Rivett said she had owed £120 for 3g of cocaine but her drug dealers claimed the drugs were worth £240.

She said that although she paid the debt two men had tried to get the “vulnerable” man she and her daughter Minique Rivett lived with in Spring Road, to go to his bank and withdraw money.

She said the men who had been chasing her drug debt had “seen an opportunity” through the man she and her daughter lived with to “ramp up” the amount owed and to get up to £10,000 out of him.

She said she and the two men and her daughter had gone with the man to get the money from his bank and it was at that stage her daughter had gone to London where she was allegedly locked in a loft.

She told police that she and her daughter had been “out of their depth” and she was concerned about what would happen to them.

Before the court are Louie Charles, 21, of Wivenhoe Park, Colchester, and Tye Parker, 22, of Burr Close, Harwich.

They have denied kidnap, blackmail and two offences of false imprisonment.

Parker also denies robbery and aggravated burglary. The offences date back to February and March 2019.

It has been alleged that Minique Rivett, was locked in a loft in London for four days without food and water before she managed to escape and run to a neighbour's house for help.

Miss Rivett went to the house in Tottenham voluntarily but prosecutor Marc Brown told the jury there was "no doubt" that once she was inside the loft she was "held against her will".

He said she went to the house on March 4 and escaped on March 8 2019.

Mr Brown said demands had been made to the man Miss Rivett and her mother shared a house with in Spring Road, Ipswich, to settle an alleged debt.

The trial which is expected to last up to three weeks continues.