A TEACHER has been suspended following allegations of inappropriate suggestions being made to girl pupils.

Police, social services and the local education authority are investigating the claims, which parents were told about in a letter from the headteacher.

The "sensitive" allegations are believed to involve inappropriate suggestions to girl pupils including encouragement that they visit internet websites of a sexual nature.

It was a colleague of the teacher who informed the headteacher of Rossmore Community College, Catherine Shaw, of the issue.

Within days the teacher was removed from duty at the school in Herbert Avenue as police and social services were brought in to investigate.

Yesterday (September 21) pupils and some parents claimed to know the identity of the teacher involved.

One parent told the Echo: "I feel sick to think that this was happening while my daughter was there. All of the children are vulnerable. They say that they knew about this on the 10th but the teacher was not suspended until the 15th. It should have been sooner."

But the mother, who asked not to be named, added: "The school has done the right thing sending out a letter to tell parents."

Headteacher Ms Shaw was unable to comment to the Echo yesterday, but in a letter to parents said: "It is with great sadness and regret that I have to inform you that a member of the teaching staff at Rossmore has been suspended, pending an investigation into their conduct.

"At this moment I can not go into detail due to the sensitivity of the issues being investigated, but I believe you, as parents, have a right to be informed.

"On September 10 a member of staff brought to me some concern about another colleague. We immediately followed up the concerns and as a result of my preliminary findings, the member of staff was suspended from duty on September 15."

She said the police, social services and local education authority had been fully briefed, adding: "If you, or your child, have any concerns, I would urge you to make contact with me immediately."

In a statement Colin Hague, head of personnel and training services at Poole council, said: "Following an allegation, a school employee has been suspended pending an investigation."

First published: September 22