A mother and step father put a misbehaving nine year old boy through a four-hour military-style boot camp, a court has heard.

The parents got the child out of bed after 9pm and forced him to do press ups, sit ups, star jumps and other exercises, each set lasting nine minutes.

If he failed they then reset the clock before the boy was eventually being allowed to go to bed shortly after 1am, a court was told.

The ordeal took place in the St Austell area of Cornwall, in January last year.

The victim's mother and stepfather, aged in their early thirties and late twenties respectively, cannot be named to protect the identity of the young victim.

They both appeared at Truro Crown Court and pleaded guilty to one count of child cruelty on the day their trial was supposed to start.

Two other adults who were also present on the evening in questions received cautions for failing to act.

Police and social services got involved after the victim described his punishment to a teaching assistant at school.

The boy was interviewed on video by police and it came across that his mother was unable to cope with the demands of her children at the time.