A communications device (112, 700), comprising a transmitter configured to transmit signals to one or more other communications devices (114, 702) via a wireless access interface in accordance with a device-to-device communications protocol, the wireless access interface for transmitting signals to an infrastructure equipment of a mobile communications network when the communications device is within a radio coverage area of the infrastructure equipment, a receiver configured to receive signals from the one or more other communications devices via the wireless access interface, the wireless access interface for receiving signals from the infrastructure equipment of the mobile communications network when the communications device is within the radio coverage area of the infrastructure equipment, and a controller for controlling the transmitter and the receiver to transmit or to receive the signals via the wireless access interface to transmit or to receive data represented by the signals, characterized in that the controller is configured with the transmitter and the receiver to transmit signals representing the data to a plurality of in-coverage communications devices (114, 701, 702, 703) within the radio coverage area of the infrastructure equipment, the plurality of communications devices forming with the communications device a group, one of the in-coverage communications devices acting as an active relay node for the communications device, so that the in-coverage communications device acting as the active relay node is able to transmit signals representing the data to the infrastructure equipment of the mobile communications network, and to receive signals representing the data from the in-coverage communications device acting as the active relay node, wherein the signals transmitted by the communications device to the in-coverage communications devices and the signals transmitted by the in-coverage communications device acting as the active relay node to the communications device are transmitted via predetermined communications resources for the transmission of signals by the communications devices within the group according to the device-to-device communications protocol, the signals transmitted to the in-coverage communications device acting as the active relay node being received according to the device-to-device communications protocol, wherein the signals transmitted by the communications device or received by the communications device include an identifier which identifies the group of communications devices comprising the communications device and the one or more in-coverage communications devices. a transmitter configured to transmit signals to one or more other communications devices (114, 702) via a wireless access interface in accordance with a device-to-device communications protocol, the wireless access interface for transmitting signals to an infrastructure equipment of a mobile communications network when the communications device is within a radio coverage area of the infrastructure equipment, a receiver configured to receive signals from the one or more other communications devices via the wireless access interface, the wireless access interface for receiving signals from the infrastructure equipment of the mobile communications network when the communications device is within the radio coverage area of the infrastructure equipment, and a controller for controlling the transmitter and the receiver to transmit or to receive the signals via the wireless access interface to transmit or to receive data represented by the signals, characterized in that the controller is configured with the transmitter and the receiver to transmit signals representing the data to a plurality of in-coverage communications devices (114, 701, 702, 703) within the radio coverage area of the infrastructure equipment, the plurality of communications devices forming with the communications device a group, one of the in-coverage communications devices acting as an active relay node for the communications device, so that the in-coverage communications device acting as the active relay node is able to transmit signals representing the data to the infrastructure equipment of the mobile communications network, and to receive signals representing the data from the in-coverage communications device acting as the active relay node, wherein the signals transmitted by the communications device to the in-coverage communications devices and the signals transmitted by the in-coverage communications device acting as the active relay node to the communications device are transmitted via predetermined communications resources for the transmission of signals by the communications devices within the group according to the device-to-device communications protocol, the signals transmitted to the in-coverage communications device acting as the active relay node being received according to the device-to-device communications protocol, wherein the signals transmitted by the communications device or received by the communications device include an identifier which identifies the group of communications devices comprising the communications device and the one or more in-coverage communications devices.