Three Royal Marines carried out a "hideous, puerile and repugnant" initiation rite in a nightclub.

Luke Bowen, Jordan Coia and Ben James - who have all now been thrown out of the military - and clubber Craig Lynch, who is not in the services, took part in a depraved act in DeVitos nightclub in Arbroath, near the Marines RM Condor base.

Forfar Sheriff Court heard the ceremony was caught on CCTV then reported to police by bosses at the club.

Bowen, 25, urinated on fellow servicemen Coia, 22, and James, 22, before exposing himself in front of onlookers.

Lynch, 42, then performed a sex act on another person during the incident.

Despite admitting charges of public indecency, none of the men were placed on the sex offenders register.

Lynch, of Aberdeen; James, of Thirsk; Bowen, of Chichester, and Coia, whose address was given as c/o RM Condor, pleaded guilty to public indecency.

Sheriff Gregor Murray imposed community payback orders with unpaid work on all four men.

Coia will carry out 225 hours, James 240 hours, Bowen 300 hours and Lynch 260 hours.

The sheriff said: "It appears there's an expectation that marines participate in conduct such as this.

"This was puerile and repugnant as the narration clearly demonstrates."

Jacob Holt, 21; Ryan Fowler, 23, and Michael Byrne, 26, all c/o RM Condor, had their not guilty pleas to public indecency accepted.

It is understood those three men remain serving Royal Marines.