A teacher bidding to make legal history by suing a former pupil for comments he made on the Internet won the first round of his court fight yesterday.

Jim Murray, 68, launched an unprecedented libel action against Jonathan Spencer, who now works at a school in Gateshead, after reading a message on the Friends Reunited website.

It said Mr Murray had been sacked from his position at Ridgewood Comprehensive, in Doncaster, South Yorkshire.

But Friends Reunited was forced to remove the message after Mr Murray revealed he had actually retired from his job as a language teacher in 1983.

Yesterday, a judge gave him permission to seek damages of up to £5,000 in a libel action against his one-time pupil - now a teacher.

Speaking after a brief hearing at Lincoln County Court, Mr Murray said: "I didn't give 32 years of teaching for someone to besmirch my name."

Mr Spencer failed to attend yesterday's hearing but may now have to turn up when the case returns to court in May to assess the libel claim.

Mr Murray, who now lives in Lincolnshire, said: "Mr Spencer has had his chance to put his explanation. He has been given the opportunity to apologise.

"It is really disagreeable to think you can work in formal education for 32 years and then have your good name taken away. It is not nice.

"What was said was not true, and I do not see why I should suffer for that."

Mr Murray also intends to make a complaint to the NASWUT, of which he is still a member, and ask for disciplinary action against Mr Spencer.

Mr Spencer was unavailable for comment yesterday but was said to be teaching when the hearing took place in private before District Judge Andrew Maw.