A BARRISTER has criticised the "high-risk" methods used by former Dr Challoner's Grammar School head John Loarridge to get rid of a teacher accused of sexually abusing teenage boys.

In a report released this week, it is confirmed that suspicions raised with Mr Loarridge about Richard Small were not reported to police or County Hall at the time of the 1987 allegations.

Instead, Mr Loarridge persuaded Small to resign by threatening that a family would come forward and give evide-nce if he did not leave.

It took 17 years to get Small into court and jailed for four years for three counts of indecent assault on one pupil and a further two more counts involving two other boys.

In between leaving the school and being convicted, Small went on to become a party agent for Aylesbury Tory MP David Lidington.

This week, Mr Loarridge defended himself. He said: "I took the course of action that would most immediately and permanently keep my pupils from risk and that would ensure this man never again had contact with youngsters."

The report, from barrister Alex Ruck Keene, was comm-issioned in January by Buckinghamshire County Council after the court case.

Mr Ruck Keene criticises Mr Loarridge for not discus-sing the allegations of abuse with the county council immediately. They had been raised personally with him twice by biology teacher Mary Brett.

Mr Loarridge is criticised for waiting until 1991, when he was about to retire, to raise suspicions with the deputy chief education officer Dr Keith Robinson.

Policies and laws were in place at the time of the offences for cases of suspected child abuse to be reported to the council and to the education secretary, and for teachers to be put onto List 99, a list of teachers suspected of abuse.

Mr Loarridge did not do this. He believed Mr Small would have fought allegations in court, children's lives would be ruined and he doubted Mr Small would be convicted.

But he is also criticised for telling governors and County Hall that Mr Small had left to take up a political career. This was technically true, but not the reasons for his resignation.

The council has been criticised for not training teachers in what to do in cases of suspected abuse.

Mr Ruck Keene describes Mr Loarridge as an outstanding head. He does not question that he was acting in what he thought was the pupils' best interests.