A man has been charged with assaulting children while carrying out circumcision procedures across the country, including in Oxford and Banbury.

Mohammad Siddiqui has been charged with 34 offences dating between 2015 and 2018.

The alleged incidents took place in Hampshire, West Midlands, West Mercia, Thames Valley, London, Dorset and Wiltshire.

A Hampshire police spokesman said the charges related to “possible criminal actions whilst undertaking circumcision procedures and not with the practice of circumcision itself”.

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He added: “The charges relate to his actions whilst performing circumcision procedures on boys in private residences between 2015 and 2018.”

The 54-year-old has been charged with offences including assault causing actual bodily harm, parenterally administering, other than to self, a prescription-only medicine when not an appropriate practitioner, and to assault, ill-treat, neglect, or abandon a child or young person to cause unnecessary suffering or injury.

Siddiqui, from the Hockley area of Birmingham, is due to appear at Westminster Magistrates’ Court on November 6.

As well as in Oxfordshire, the offences are also alleged to have taken place in Birmingham, Walsall, Coventry, West Bromwich, Worcester, Reading, Southampton, Portsmouth, London, East Grinstead, Christchurch, and Swindon.