A teenager, who was told her hair would scare the Taliban, had to do sit-ups in a short skirt and was hit on the bottom by an army recruiter it is alleged.

The woman, who cannot be named for legal reasons, is one of 11 alleged victims of Sergeant Elvin Mee, formerly of Tavistock Road, Croydon.

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She had met with Mr Mee at the Mitcham Barracks army careers and information centre in Mitcham Road, Croydon, several times in early 2011 as she wanted to sign up.

Giving evidence on the first day of his trial at Southwark Crown Court yesterday afternoon, the woman said she can remember her hitting her on the bottom as she was leaving his office.

She said this had happened after she had gone back there with him after she had done some physical training with seven other cadets.

The witness said: "I felt a hand hit my bottom. It wasn't a pat, it wasn't like a spank, it was in the middle.

"I was quite shocked and I did not know what was going on.

The woman, who was 19 at the time, did not tell anyone about this alleged incident until military police investigators wrote to her about an investigation into Sergeant Mee.

And, the court heard, on a form that she filled in on September 28, 2012, she told a different story.

Lisa Wilding, defending, asked her: "Where did all these seven people that did the physical training go?

"You said you went back to the office so where did the seven go?

"Are you sure he hit you on the bottom?

"Are you sure it was on the day when there was physical training?"

The witness said it was on that day because she can remember she was wearing her tracksuit bottoms.

Ms Wilding responded: "I have here your answers you gave [on the form].

"[To the question] Has he ever made inappropriate comments? [you replied] 'He was friendly and I remember once I was leaving and he smacked my backside.'

"'I had been doing sit-ups in the office.'

"That's what you told them at the time and you agree that's different to what you said today."

The court heard that he had suggested she take part in the training session when they were both in his office a few days before.

During this meeting he had made her do sit-ups on the floor of his office after she complained about the physical aspects of a two day training camp.

She said: "I was wearing a skirt, a flared skirt above the knee and a black crew neck.

"I lay down and he held my ankles and I did some sit-ups until my stomach started hurting.

"I had a skirt on and did not want to go on the floor."

Ms Wilding suggested the witness had never been touched on the bottom.

But when asked by Ms Cottage, for the prosecution, she said it did happen and it did happen after training as she could remember the feeling of the tracksuit material hitting her.

The court heard on one occasion when the teenager visited the recruitment centre with her mum Mr Mee told her mum not to worry about her daughter being killed.

He said this was because her hair, which was styled into a big quiff at the time, would scare the Taliban away.

Divorced father-of-five Mr Mee denies 21 charges, relating to 11 women, 17 of sexual assault, three of rape and one count of assault by penetration.

He has now left the army and now lives in Scotland.

The trial continues.