A TEACHER accused of indecently assaulting a pupil at school told a court yesterday he had never been left alone with the girl.

Michael Pendlington told Teesside Crown Court: "I have been teaching for 30 years, and ever since day one people have told me: 'don't be alone with them in classrooms'. That's what I made sure I did."

The girl has alleged that Mr Pendlington, 51, of Miller Crescent, Hartlepool, regularly touched her indecently when they were alone in a classroom.

Mr Pendlington faces two charges of indecent assault which he has denied.

The geography teacher was suspended when the girl made the allegation in March last year.

Yesterday, Mr Pendlington told the court the girl would often spend her lunchbreak in his classroom with a group of friends.

Mr Pendlington described his classroom as "open house" to pupils during the lunchbreak, where they could study and prepare course work.

Children would also leave their bags in his classroom. Some would knock on the window to attract their friends' attention if they wanted something from their bags.

But a few months before the girl made her allegation against him, Mr Pendlington said she began to display different behaviour.

She would misbehave in the classroom, treating it as a joke, but her behaviour became more serious as she tried to provoke a reaction from him, he said.

Mr Pendlington said he told her she would have to find somewhere else to spend her lunchbreaks. Then the allegation was made and Mr Pendlington was suspended.

The case continues