A former deputy headteacher at a boarding school has been banned from teaching indefinitely after being caught in possession of indecent images of children.

Andrew Morris was suspended from his senior role at Brambletye School in East Grinstead, West Sussex, after being arrested in 2020 on suspicion of possessing indecent images of children.

The 45-year-old was placed on the sex offenders register for five years and given an 18-month community order at West Sussex Magistrates’ Court in August 2021 after admitting taking indecent photographs of children.

A panel from the Teaching Regulatory Agency has now banned him from teaching in England and said he would not be allowed to apply to teach again.

The panel concluded that Morris “failed in his duty to protect the public’s confidence in the profession through his serious and unlawful misconduct.”

A statement from Brambletye School said: “We were made aware of serious allegations against Mr Morris in April 2020.

“He has been suspended by the school with immediate effect and has not been permitted to return to school grounds.”

The school said none of its students were involved.

A school spokesperson said: “The fact that a member of our community could behave in this way is a devastating betrayal of our trust and goes against everything the school stands for.”