The tables were turned when Regimental Sergeant Major Steve Wardell was the one receiving the orders.

In full regimental dress, he rolled up his sleeves and set about the job of painting the cellar of the Black Swan pub, in Bath Street, Abingdon.

Then it was quick march into the garage for a major clear-up operation.

RSM Wardell was one of the lots in a charity slave auction at the pub.

He was snapped up for £30 by pub manager Chris Pugh, who said: "What a bargain. Steve's army training and discipline were just the ticket for the chores I needed doing. I thought I would be in for some tough bidding by young soldiers eager to hand out a few orders to the RSM but I think they were too scared."

RSM Wardell, from Dalton Barracks, Abingdon, is a regular at the Black Swan.

While he was busy painting the cellar, another "slave", customer Nicola Tarrant, was busy upstairs ironing for assistant manager Donna McKeown.

Ms McKeown, who paid £65 for Ms Tarrant's ironing skills, said: "I was determined to get my money's worth. I'm going on holiday soon and there are nearly 200 items in need of an iron."

Ms Tarrant was one of 16 staff and customers who put themselves up for auction. With an early Christmas raffle, a total of £1,200 was raised for two charities, the special care baby unit at the John Radcliffe Hospital in Oxford and The Samaritans.

Nicola Ward and Jo Edwards paid £40 for Army chef Bruce Adam to prepare a meal for an all-women dinner party.

Ms Ward said: "He wasn't worried about the cooking but when we joked he would have to serve guests naked, he seemed a bit shaken -- but we will let him off that duty!"

The funniest bidding came when Mr Pugh went head to head with a customer for the services of his wife Kristy. He said: "The bidding for Kristy got up to £95 but then my opponent went up to £100 -- time for me to bow out. It was a bit too much to pay for my own wife."