A communications device for transmitting data to or receiving data from a mobile communications network, the mobile communications network including one or more network elements, the one or more network elements providing a wireless access interface for the communications device, the communications device comprising: a transmitter unit adapted to transmit signals representing the data to the mobile communications network via the wireless access interface, and a receiver unit adapted to receive signals representing the data from the mobile communications network via the wireless access interface, the wireless access interface providing a plurality of communications resource elements across a first frequency range of a host carrier, and providing a first section of the communications resources within said first frequency range for preferable allocation to reduced capability devices forming a first virtual carrier (404.1) and, the first frequency range being within the bandwidth of the host carrier, and the wireless access interface includes a plurality of time divided sub-frames, and at least one of the sub-frames includes a control channel in a part of the sub-frame for communicating signaling messages to the communications devices and the reduced capability devices, wherein the one or more network elements are configured to transmit first resource allocation messages to the communications devices to allocate one or more of the plurality of communications resource elements of the first frequency range of the host carrier and to transmit second resource allocation messages to the reduced capability devices to allocate one or more of the first section of the communications resources within the first frequency range for preferable allocation to the reduced capability devices of the first virtual carrier, the first resource allocation messages identifying one or more of the communications resource elements of the host carrier allocated to the communications devices with reference to a first reference frequency within the host carrier and the second resource allocation messages identifying the one or more communications resources of the first virtual carrier allocated to the reduced capability devices with reference to a second reference frequency within the first virtual carrier, and the communications device is a reduced capability device and includes a controller configured to control the receiver unit to receive one of the second resource allocation message from the control channel, and to receive the data transmitted from the mobile communications network via the one or more communications resources allocated by the second resource allocation messages with reference to the second reference frequency within the first virtual carrier. a transmitter unit adapted to transmit signals representing the data to the mobile communications network via the wireless access interface, and a receiver unit adapted to receive signals representing the data from the mobile communications network via the wireless access interface, the wireless access interface providing a plurality of communications resource elements across a first frequency range of a host carrier, and providing a first section of the communications resources within said first frequency range for preferable allocation to reduced capability devices forming a first virtual carrier (404.1) and, the first frequency range being within the bandwidth of the host carrier, and the wireless access interface includes a plurality of time divided sub-frames, and at least one of the sub-frames includes a control channel in a part of the sub-frame for communicating signaling messages to the communications devices and the reduced capability devices, wherein the one or more network elements are configured to transmit first resource allocation messages to the communications devices to allocate one or more of the plurality of communications resource elements of the first frequency range of the host carrier and to transmit second resource allocation messages to the reduced capability devices to allocate one or more of the first section of the communications resources within the first frequency range for preferable allocation to the reduced capability devices of the first virtual carrier, the first resource allocation messages identifying one or more of the communications resource elements of the host carrier allocated to the communications devices with reference to a first reference frequency within the host carrier and the second resource allocation messages identifying the one or more communications resources of the first virtual carrier allocated to the reduced capability devices with reference to a second reference frequency within the first virtual carrier, and the communications device is a reduced capability device and includes a controller configured to control the receiver unit to receive one of the second resource allocation message from the control channel, and to receive the data transmitted from the mobile communications network via the one or more communications resources allocated by the second resource allocation messages with reference to the second reference frequency within the first virtual carrier.