Shocking details of an orgy at Bulford Barracks emerged at the court martial of Hussain Panchbhaya today. He was cleared of battery

A woman was taken to a barracks for an orgy with at least five soldiers, one of whom was wearing a gas mask, a court martial has heard.

The military court was told the 20-year-old woman was picked up and driven to Bulford Barracks in Wiltshire where she consented to the group sex.

In what the court martial judge referred to as 'a very unedifying spectacle', she had sex with two men at the same time, while a third touched her.

Mobile phone footage of the incident also showed her performing a sex act on a soldier wearing a gas mask, Bulford Military Court heard.

The barracks orgy came to light when the woman complained about being hit with a 'regimental cane' by 4 Rifles soldier Corporal Hussain Panchbhaya.

But the case against the Corporal, 29, collapsed today after the woman left the courtroom as footage of the sexual activity was about to be shown.

She refused to be questioned under cross examination and a panel cleared Cpl Panchbhaya when prosecutors formally offered no evidence.

The complainant earlier told the court how she paid Rifleman James Onwood £80 to collect her from Basingstoke, Hampshire and take her to Bulford Barracks - a 70 mile round trip.

The pair had pre-arranged to have a threesome with another soldier, only known as 'Zane', and the woman was signed into the barracks and went to Rifleman Onwood's room.

She admitted more soldiers ultimately took part in the sexual activity - stating there were 'five, six or seven soldiers' in total.

Cpl Panchbhaya did not take part in the group sex but was in the room holding the regimental cain, the woman said.

She added: 'When I walked away that's when he hit me with it on the left leg, just underneath my hip bone.'

Cpl Panchbhaya, who has since been promoted from lance corporal, accepts he struck her but claimed 'she asked him to do it'.

Barrister Simon Reevell, defending, told the court it was necessary to see the footage as it called into question how her objection to being hit with the cane.

He said: 'It was not particularly traumatic for her as she was having sexual intercourse with three people simultaneously afterwards.'

The court martial was held at the court centre attached to the Bulford barracks where the orgy took place. The case fell apart after the woman refused to be cross examined and left the court when footage was played

After the case collapsed and Cpl Panchbhaya was cleared, a spokesman for the Army said: 'The British Army expects the highest standards of behaviour from all personnel, whether on or off duty.

'Breaches of values and standards are treated very seriously.

'All those who are found to fall short of the Army's high standards will be dealt with appropriately, up to and including dismissal.'