A former Colchester head teacher who resigned amid controversy, is now a school's inspector for Ofsted.

Len Brazier, who quit the Gilberd School in August 1996 over an expenses row, is working as an inspector in the West Midlands branch of the Office for Standards in Education.

Mr Brazier declined to comment on his new role saying only, through a spokeswoman, that he believed it was not relevant as it was too long since he had been in the area.

The controversy at the Gilberd School in Brinkley Lane began in June 1995 when the Gazette revealed Mr Brazier had mistakenly double claimed expenses worth £1,300 for entertaining, petty cash and clothing.

Parents called for his resignation and in March 1996 the school's governors went one stage further and sacked him following a hearing before a disciplinary panel.

However, just a month later he won an appeal against the decision and was reinstated.

But the chapter still had not closed on the controversy - which led to a strike and sit-ins by pupils - as Mr Brazier resigned for the final time after accepting a five-figure payment in September 1996.

Today Chris Jenkinson, who was head of governors at the Gilberd just before Mr Brazier initially resigned, said he was pleased the former head had a new job.

He said: "That is excellent. I would imagine he would make a good inspector."

Converted for the new archive on 19 November 2001. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.