THE jury in the trial of a teacher accused of groping a pupil was discharged yesterday.

Drama teacher Joseph Kerr has been standing trial accused of two counts of sexual activity with a child while working at Haughton Community School, in Darlington.

Yesterday morning, the jury at Teesside Crown Court was discharged by Judge David Bryant on the fourth day of the trial.

Mr Kerr had denied both charges.

The Crown Prosecution Service has 14 days to decide if a new trial will be held.

It had been alleged by the girl that Mr Kerr had twice stroked her bottom and made sexual remarks to her while giving her tuition after school.

The 43-year-old teacher said the pupil's story was "complete and utter rubbish" and said he had been devastated by the accusations.

He had previously told the court she may have made up the incidents because he had criticised her work.

Mr Kerr, of Abbey Road, Darlington, was a professional actor for 15 years, appearing in television soap Emmerdale and a Touch of Frost, before taking up a full-time post at the school.

He also worked for the Prison Service and the National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children. In one of the alleged incidents, said to have occurred in November last year, the girl said the teacher groped her in a school corridor, but Mr Kerr told the court he had not seen the girl that day and had been giving a registration class at the time.

The jury was shown a copy of the registration form he had completed on the day in question.

Howard Thomas, deputy headteacher of the school, earlier told the court that Mr Kerr had been sent home after the accusations were made and placed on gardening leave.

He said it was decided that education bosses would make a decision about Mr Kerr's future after the court case had been concluded.

The court previously witnessed the teenager giving evidence via a video link.

She said: "I was so scared. It is not nice.

"I was very upset. I know what he did.

"I am not lying about this. He did touch me. He did, he did."

Mr Kerr also gave evidence. He told the jury: "It is easier for a child in school to remove a teacher than it is the other way round.

"That's the story. I don't know why she made the accusations."