Prestigious: Brewer was director of music at the renowned Chetham's School in Manchester until 1994

Michael Brewer 'could not keep his hands off at least two pupils' and made advances towards a third during his time at Chetham's School in Manchester, according to prosecutors.

He is also alleged to have raped one girl in the presence of his wife Hilary.

Mrs Brewer, 67, is on trial alongside her husband at Manchester Crown Court, accused of aiding and abetting the rape and committing a separate indecent assault on the same girl.

The alleged victim, who is said to have had a 'troubled childhood', claims Mr Brewer, 67, started attacking her when she was just 14.

She is set to testify that most of the abuse took place in the 1970s and 1980s in his office at the renowned school or in his camper van which he parked in the grounds.

The girl did not consider it sexual abuse at the time, the jury heard, and therefore did not make an official complaint.

Peter Cadwallader, prosecuting, said Brewer had also acted inappropriately towards two other female pupils - years after the alleged victim left the school.

He allegedly pinned a 17-year-old girl up against a wall during a school trip and said to her 'You want it really, don't you?' before she ducked underneath his arms and ran off.

Prestigious: Brewer was director of music at the renowned Chetham's School in Manchester until 1994

And in the early 1990s he was forced to resign from Chetham's after an illicit relationship with a 16-year-old girl, Mr Cadwallader said.

She regularly visited his office, and recalled he would persuade her to take off her top and bra and then fondle her, the court heard.

Mr Brewer, of Selly Oak, Birmingham, denies rape and 13 counts of indecent assault.

Mrs Brewer, of Rossendale, Lancashire, denies one count of indecent assault and aiding and abetting rape.

The court heard the victim was above the age of consent when she was allegedly raped but had nonetheless 'submitted' to Brewer and his wife.

Court: The pair have both pleaded not guilty at their trial at Manchester Crown Court, pictured

Mr Cadwallader said the girl had a 'troubled childhood' but was a 'hugely gifted musician'.

'That school then, and probably now, had a worldwide reputation,' he said. 'The defendant, Michael Brewer, during the time she was at the school, and indeed up until 1994, was the music director.

'He can be properly described as a fine musician, a brilliant teacher. A man who can be described as dynamic and very charismatic.

'His only problem, the prosecution allege, is that he could not keep his hands off at least two female pupils and propositioned a third.'

The complainant in the trial said she was sexually abused from the age of 14 by Brewer.

'She was visiting the defendant in his office on the school premises and it was there that intimacy started,' Mr Cadwallader said.

'It started with him hugging her. Indeed that was something he did with a number of students, both privately and in public.'

Brewer later started touching her private parts and asking her to perform a sex act on him, the prosecutor alleged.

She was also regularly sexually abused in Brewer's camper van which was parked on school grounds and he used on occasion to take out students, Mr Cadwallader said.

He went on to assault her on a canal bank in Manchester after taking her out to pubs and treating her as if she was his girlfriend, he added.

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