A former soldier who appeared on recruitment posters for the British army has received a settlement and an apology after taking it to an employment tribunal over the racist and sexist abuse she was subjected to during her career.

Knight, 33, thought the army would offer stability, a type of family and the chance of a fantastic career. She had a “bright hope” she could pave the way for other young, Black women.

Now, after 12 years of service, her hopes are in tatters. After enduring more than a decade of racist and sexist abuse, she was forced out of the role she loved.

When Knight appeared on the recruitment poster she thought she had been asked because of her achievements in training. “I didn’t know it was because I was going to be the only Black woman in that regiment,” she told the Guardian. “I didn’t know what I was in for.”