A FORMER school headteacher who performed sex acts in front of boys on orienteering trips more than a quarter of a century ago has escaped being jailed.

Patrick Nethercot, 61, of Larches Road, Western Hill, Durham City, head of the city's Gilesgate Junior School from 1984 to 1993, admitted seven offences of indecency involving four boys under 16.

They occurred between 1978 and 1980 when Nethercot, who has no previous convictions, was a teacher at a Wearside school.

After hearing how Nethercot himself was the victim of a serious offence when he was 17, the court gave him a three-year community order with supervision.

The offences did not involve Nethercot touching, or being touched by, the youngsters, who were as young as nine.

Shaun Dodds, prosecuting, said they were committed during the trips that Nethercot organised for small groups of boys.

They were only reported to police last year after one of the boys, now a father in his 30s, saw Nethercot collecting a grandchild in Chester-le-Street.

When he was arrested in November, Nethercot, who has been married for 37 years, denied any inappropriate behaviour, but admitted the charge in court on August 2.

Caroline Goodwin, in mitigation, said Nethercot had his family's support and was getting help for his problems.

Judge Beatrice Bolton read a letter from Nethercot, pre-sentence and psychiatric reports and three references.

She said the maximum sentence for the offence was two years, but there were mitigating factors, including the impact of the offence he suffered as a teenager, which contributed to him having a breakdown in the Nineties.

Nethercot must attend a sex offender treatment programme, sign the sex offenders register for five years, not work with children and pay court costs.

Judge Bolton praised the victim who reported the offences to police.

Nethercot left Gilesgate Junior School in November 1993, days before a hearing into his appeal against disciplinary action recommended by the school's governors, who had suspended him after the parents of pupils made allegations about him.

He went on to run a computer and internet consultancy that designed websites for organisations and businesses including Durham City Labour Party, the city's former MP Gerry Steinberg, and the Gateshead Senators American Football Club.

He chaired the Durham and Chester-le-Street branch of the Alzheimers' Society and the County Durham and Darlington Priority Services NHS Trust's patient forum.