A HEADTEACHER who loved his school so much that he bought it has cut his ties with the establishment that he first joined 53 years ago.

Jeff Johnson joined the private Argyle House School, in Sunderland, as a pupil in 1949 and spent his career teaching there.

But yesterday he retired as headteacher, and his wife, Norma, left her job in the school office.

He handed the school and its 234 pupils to his two sons, Neil and Chris, who will now see if they can match his record.

Both of them attended Argyle House, in Thornhill Park, as pupils, and both teach at the school.

Mr Johnson, 60, plans to write mathematics books in his retirement.

After leaving the school as a pupil, Mr Johnson returned in 1966 to teach maths, and in 1968 bought the school when it had only 75 pupils.

At a ceremony at the school yesterday, he was presented with cards made by the pupils and with a book containing messages from the parents of former pupils.