A FORMER acting headteacher at a Kidderminster school has been banned from classrooms for life after a catalogue of "inappropriate" behaviour towards pupils.

The Education Secretary has imposed the lifelong ban on Brett Holden, deputy and later acting head of St George's Primary School from September, 2008 to April, 2013.

He does, however, have the right to appeal against it to the High Court.

A National College for Teaching and Leadership (NCTL) professional conduct panel found that Mr Holden, 37, had "cuddled", "embraced" and "tickled" pupils, let them sit on his lap and called some by "pet" names, including "my princess".

He let one pupil call him "dad" and fed Angel Delight from a spoon to a girl during a lunchtime.

He had also, during a school trip, visited a dormitory alone without good reason after the girls using it had gone to bed and had been checked by female staff.

He took four girls in a car to a Build-A-Bear shop to buy teddy bears to use as school house mascots.

The panel found proved the allegations against Mr Holden, who was seconded from St George's to become acting head at Catshill First School, Bromsgrove from January to August, 2012.

Mr Holden was not present at the hearing but admitted most of the allegations in writing.

Alan Meyrick, deputy director of the NCTL, said the evidence showed that Mr Holden had regularly had 'physical contact of an inappropriate nature' with pupils - mainly girls in Years 5 and 6.

"This was serious repeated behaviour over a period of time," he added.

"In addition, Mr Holden was given warnings about his behaviour."

Mr Meyrick concluded that Mr Holden should be prohibited from teaching indefinitely - whether at a school, sixth form college, youth accommodation or children's home - and that he should not be entitled to apply to restore his eligibility to teach.