A TEACHER has been suspended for six months after a tribunal found him guilty of using “inappropriate force” against pupils on three occasions over an eight year period.

The General Teaching Council for England imposed the ban on Alan Briglin, formerly an art teacher at the Thomas Clarkson Community College.

“Taking account of the overall seriousness of Mr Briglin’s behaviour, we concluded that a period of suspension is both necessary and proportionate,” said the council’s professional conduct committee.

Committee chairman Derek Johns said their findings reflected “in totality a serious breach of the council’s code of conduct.

“The sanction is also designed to ensure that it sends a signal that, whilst pupil behaviour is often demanding and antagonistic, it does not excuse behaviour such as that shown.”

Mr Briglin joined the former Queens Boys School in 1983 but the first proven case against him was on December 5, 2000 when he manhandled a pupil. The incident led to buttons becoming detached from the pupil’s shirt “and the pupil banging his head on a wall.

Mr Johns said Mr Briglin had admitted his mistake and regretted getting annoyed and also stated that “I overreacted”.

They also looked into an incident from December 19, 2001 when Mr Briglin took hold of a pupil’s coat to hold him “so he had to listen”.

On November 17, 2008 the committee found that Mr Briglin had pushed a pupil on the chest on more than one occasions.

Mr Johns said the teacher’s actions fell short of the standard expected and the documents provided suggested “a level of acceptance of fault” by Mr Briglin and in hindsight he should have reacted differently.

“Mr Briglin has not provided any sort of apology or expression of regret for his behaviour” he said.

Mr Briglin has a month to appeal. A fourth allegation was found not proven.

A Cambridgeshire County Council spokesman said Mr Briglin had ceased employment with the school at Easter, 2009.