A father punished his ten-year-old daughter by recruiting someone to perform female genital mutilation on her with a razor blade, the Old Bailey heard today.

The 50-year-old father of four, who cannot be named, invited someone to their south London home to cut the girl on two separate occasions.

It is alleged that the ordeal went on for ten minutes and the girl would cry out in pain, but her father only 'egged on' the cutter.

Prosecutor Mark Heywood told the court: 'This was not apparently done out of any cultural or family reason but more in the way of punishment.

A father punished his ten-year-old daughter by recruiting someone to perform female genital mutilation on her with a razor blade, the Old Bailey heard today

'On two occasions he had someone come to the house and, using a sharp implement - she thought a razor blade - had her cut repeatedly in a series of deliberate actions causing serious injury to her small body.'

'The type of thing that went well beyond the bounds of the corrective or the disciplinary actions of a kind that might be used by a normal, loving father.'

Another daughter had been subjected to name-calling by her father, including 'bastard' and 'slut', while a son had been hit with a stick, the jury was told.

Mr Heywood added: 'At times his dealings were harsh and cruel.

'His style of control led him to resort to shouting, belittling, name-calling and violent chastisement, well beyond the bounds of the corrective or disciplinary actions of a kind that might be used by a normal and loving father.'

The father 'singled out' the oldest daughter but also punished a younger boy and girl, it is claimed.

The 50-year-old father of four, who cannot be named, invited someone to their south London home to cut the girl on two separate occasions

'This was no light tap or gentle reminder to step back into line.

'He shouted his message at them and reinforced it by beating them, at times forcefully using a stick or slipper to inflict pain.'

The father suggests that his children are making up the allegations to 'get at him' and denies he is responsible for cutting them.

Mr Heywood, said: 'The events with which you are concerned happened over a period of seven or so years from about 2009 up to 2016, and before that marriage finally broke down.

'During those years there were many occasions on which the defendant was in sole charge of the children, or one or more of the children.

The suspect, from south London, denies two counts of female genital mutilation, two alternative counts of wounding with intent and three counts of cruelty to a child.

The trial continues.