A CANON Slade teacher has been arrested on suspicion of inciting sexual activity with a child.

Police said the matter was reported to them on Tuesday, while the school said the teacher was suspended yesterday.

The male teacher, who cannot be identified for legal reasons, has been bailed until July 16 while police investigate, with conditions that he is not allowed to enter the school or contact pupils.

Canon Slade bosses said the teacher is being investigated "for inappropriate communications with a pupil".

The Bolton News understands the teacher was arrested at a train station.

A letter has been sent to parents, which warns people not to discuss the matter on social media - a warning that appears to have been largely ignored.

The letter stresses that the investigation focuses on "an isolated issue with one individual" and says there have been no other incidents reported by other pupils or staff.

The Bolton News: The letter sent to parents after a Canon Slade teacher was arrested on suspicion of sexual activity with a child.

The letter sent to parents following the teacher's arrest

Signed by headteacher Canon Philip Williamson and Rev Matt Thompson, the chairman of governors, the letter also outlines the action the school, in Bradshaw Brow, Bradshaw, takes to protect its children's safety.

All teachers at the school undergo a criminal records check, the letter says, and school bosses had "no information or reason to be concerned" before the allegations came to light.


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The arrest marks the third police investigation into the sexual behaviour of teachers at the Church of England school in the last three years.

Teacher Andrew Welsh admitted a catalogue of sexual activity with a child last month, and is awaiting sentence.

In April 2012, science teacher Andrew Ward was jailed for downloading child porn.

One parent, who did not want to be named said: “I am shocked to hear there has been another arrest of this nature concerning the school.

“But it has got to the point that it is not a surprise anymore.”

Canon Slade School in Bradshaw was marked as outstanding by the Ofsted, the government’s education watchdog.

It is one of Bolton’s top performing schools regularly posting some of the best GCSE results in the borough.

No-one from the school, Bolton Council or Manchester Diocese was available for comment.