A drama teacher groomed a 'besotted' schoolgirl into having sex, a court heard yesterday, taking her to restaurants and top London shows and even going on holiday together.

The youngster was said to have been 'in thrall' to Kim Connor, 46, who began teaching her at stage school when she was aged just nine.

When she was 14 and struggling with her sexuality, the schoolgirl allegedly went to her house for home tuition, only for Connor to kiss her 'chastely' on the mouth.

The victim's parents considered Connor like 'a big sister' to their daughter.

The youngster was said to have been 'in thrall' to Kim Connor, 46, pictured, who began teaching her at stage school when she was aged just nine.

She claimed that when she was 15, her parents would let her stay the night with Connor, who she regarded as 'like a big sister'.

But instead her affections progressed to kissing the schoolgirl 'open-mouthed' and touching her intimately over her clothing, a jury was told.

They began sharing a bed, the court heard, and one night Connor opened a safe in her wardrobe which contained sex toys, encouraging them to use them on one another.

She said they would go shopping together, with the teacher insisting that she hid if they spotted any other pupils or their parents.

'I adored her, I idolised her,' she told the jury. 'She made me feel special because I thought she had chosen me.'

Minshull Street Crown Court, pictured, heard Kim Connor, 46, groomed the girl, who was aged 14 at the time in 2004

The accuser – who cannot be named for legal reasons – claims she was inspired to reveal the abuse which allegedly happened 15 years ago by the #MeToo movement.

However the defence accuse her of being motivated by jealousy after Connor was appointed principal of another stage school, saying the relationship did not start until after the girl turned 18.

Connor began teaching her drama at a private performing arts school in Salford, Greater Manchester, which she attended on Saturday mornings from the age of nine, the trial heard.

She told Minshull Street Crown Court, Manchester that the teacher first kissed her on the lips while they were sitting together on the floor in 2004, when she was 14 and Connor was aged 29.

'She leant over me and kissed me, and I kissed her back. I remember thinking 'I've just kissed my teacher'.'

The ex-pupil said Connor became increasingly 'tactile' as she turned 15, stroking her when they greeted one another.

'I was quite bewildered,' she said. 'I went along with it because I had a lot of trust in Kim.'

She told the jury that with her parents busy visiting a terminally relative at a hospice, she would sometimes spend the night at Connor's house, sharing a bed.

'She used to have a safe in her wardrobe which contained sex toys,' she said.

Connor would ask her to use them on her, she said. 'I didn't enjoy it,' she added.

She said Connor would take her to the Trafford Centre but would make her hide the fact they were a couple.

'If she saw any parents of any children she taught, I would have to hide,' she said.

'We never showed each other any affection, holding hands, in public.

'Had any parents seen her, they would probably have questioned why.'

She said Connor would take her to shows including Cabaret in London during half-term, staying in hotels.

When she was 'about 16' they went on holiday to Portugal.

But after starting university she began to realise the relationship 'wasn't right', she said.

She said she ended the relationship after learning Connor was secretly having fertility treatment, saying 'she wanted me to raise children with her'.

The ex-pupil broke down as she told how Connor had won her parents' trust.

'She was there to help us all through it,' she sobbed.

'I viewed her at that time like a big sister.'

The schoolgirl was 'in thrall' to her and 'besotted', prosecutor Darren Preston told the jury earlier.

'She thought they were partners, that they were in a relationship,' he added.

But he said in reality Connor had 'exploited' the 'vulnerability' of a young girl.

'She knew what she was doing was wrong,' he added.

Under cross-examination, she denied making up her account out of jealousy after Connor was appointed principal of another stage school.

She insisted she had been inspired to come forward because of the #MeToo movement.

'You came forward because you wanted to damage her,' said Simon Gurney, defending.

'I came forward from my own strength, to make sure she never does this to anyone else,' she answered.

The accuser denied she had been 'infatuated' with Connor and had 'bombarded' her with messages, saying it was 'false' to suggest the relationship only began after she turned 18.

'The first 15 years of my life were ruined by Kim Connor,' she said.

'I had to have counselling for depression and anxiety.'

She also denied making up her account of having regular home tuition with Connor and fabricating the account of learning about the fertility treatment.

When she was arrested, Connor admitted the pair had been in a sexual relationship but insisted it had not begun until the girl turned 18.

Connor, from Manchester, denies six counts of engaging in sexual activity with a child being a person in a position of trust and a further six of causing or inciting a child to engage in sexual activity being a person in a position of trust.

The trial continues.