A stressed headteacher who claimed the pressure of the job lead to him "living in fear of failure" has launched a court battle for £65,000 damages.

Ernest Longstaffe, 55, said he was forced to quit his post as head at Hillview Junior School, Sunderland, after being told by his bosses to either "hack it or go".

He told Newcastle County Court yesterday that he ended up frightened to go into work after developing a mixed anxiety and depressive order.

Mr Longstaffe, who was a headteacher for 12 years, took the position at Hillview in 1993, after leaving a school in Ryhope.

He told the court how his promising start at the school went quickly downhill when his decision to exclude a pupil from the school was overturned by an appeal board.

Mr Longstaffe started suffering headaches and high blood pressure and facial pain and spent some time off work with depression.

He said: "It has taken me four years to get anywhere near feeling better.

"The nature of my illness meant I was living in fear of failure."

Mr Longstaffe went off sick in 1998 and was medically retired the following year.

After leaving his job, his 30-year marriage with his wife, who is also a headteacher, fell apart as he was no longer able to cope not being the breadwinner of the family.

Mr Longstaffe's case against the Governing body of Hillview Junior School and the City of Sunderland is due to last four days.

He claims he was provided with insufficient support and that his warnings about his difficulties were not heeded