Just days before, she had been laughing and joking with the young men and women who were now slowly creeping in the undergrowth towards her, desperate to take her captive.

Heart racing, she squeezes the trigger and the loud rattle of the rifle can be heard across the woods that have been her home for the last three nights.

It was the loud rattle of blanks, of course – no real ammunition here.

Emily, who lives in Cannock, was just one of around 400 youngsters from the Staffordshire and West Midlands North Sector Army Cadet Force experiencing the annual camp on Salisbury Plain.

She had joined the cadets on her own but has made quite a few friends since.

“The best bit is the shooting – it gives you a real buzz,” says Emily who, beneath her face-paint, is glowing from the day’s activities.

“I want to go into the nursing corp but being in the cadets is an excellent experience. It is a discipline that will stand me in good stead whatever I decide to do and I have made some good friends.”

For eight days the cadets have been undertaking a mixture of military, sporting and community activities. When the camp ends they receive awards for their successes gained in the exercises.

Christopher Betts, 15, from Sedgley, has been on three annual camps and says he is keen to join the Grenadier Guards.

“My Uncle Matthew is in the army and is now based at Wellington Barracks,” he says. “He has told me lots of stories about life in the army and it sounds interesting.”

Major George Oldfield, who is based in Wolverhampton, says the army gets into the blood.

“We find that a lot of people who join the cadets have relatives in the army. It is addictive and once you are in the cadets it is hard to leave.

“These children are learning to work as a team and if they were not in cadets they could be out on the streets.

“On the annual camp they have a chance to put into action the skills they have picked up all year.”

Even though a number of girls are joining the cadets, 60 per cent of the sector are boys.

Major Oldfield says: “Girls make wonderful cadets because we find that they gel well as a team.

“They haven’t got the same macho hang-ups that boys have and they find it easier to admit if they have done something wrong, which often helps them learn quicker.”

Sarah Kemp, 15, from Walsall spent three nights sleeping under a ‘basha’ which is a simple tent created from a square of material supported on sticks.

“I have been enjoying the camp and it is nice that my brother, Thomas, and sister, Kirsty, are also here,” she says. “It stops me from feeling homesick.”

Richard Hemmings, commandant of the cadet force says: “We are not about creating recruits for the army. We want to produce good citizens.

“Also we want to help give our youngsters a head-start which is why there is a BTEC course for cadets to work towards – this is the equivalent of four GCSEs.

“Youngsters are struggling to be ahead of the rest when it comes to interviews for jobs or university. We find that saying they have been in the cadets gives them that edge that others might not have.”

Lt Col Hemmings says parents should not be worried about their children because safety is the most important thing in the cadets.

“If I do have any parents contacting me it is usually because they are worried their child is not moving quickly enough up the ranks,” he says. “Parents who have been in the forces are not concerned about their child’s safety because they know how stringent we are.

“Being in the cadets is a fantastic experience for any child and we are also looking for more adults to be volunteers.”

Cadets were also at camp working towards completing their Duke of Edinburgh gold award.

Matt Sidaway, 16, from Dudley says: “We carried our tents, food and bedding and walked more than 90 kilometres in four days.

“It is tiring but the best bit is the views when you get to the top of the hills. It makes it all worth it.”

Danielle Edwards, 17, from Aldridge says: “There is so much going on with the cadets that you develop skills which can be used throughout life.

“I would say to anyone thinking of joining the cadets to just go for it.”