A PERVERTED teacher who took photographs up a woman’s skirt while she was on school property has been banned from the classroom.

Simon Tidbury was arrested at Bishop William Ward Primary School in Great Horkesley after a call was received from the headteacher.

The 33-year-old had been caught trying to take a covert picture of a woman by positioning his phone under her skirt.

After his phone was seized in June 2020, police officers found two upskirt images which had been taken at the school.

Gazette: Arrest - Tidbury was arrested in Bishop William Ward Primary SchoolArrest - Tidbury was arrested in Bishop William Ward Primary School (Image: Google)

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Tidbury, of Mersea Road, Colchester, went on to admit two counts of recording an image under clothing to observe another without consent and one count of operating equipment beneath the clothing of another without consent.

He has now been indefinitely banned from teaching in any school, sixth form college, youth accommodation or children’s home in England.

The punishment will run alongside the 30 month community order imposed upon him by Colchester Magistrates’ Court, which includes 100 hours of unpaid work.

In an impact statement read during the court sentencing in March 2021, the victim said: “My emotions have gone from shock to sadness, to humiliation and anger."

Gazette: Teacher - Tidbury resigned from his job at the school after the offences emergedTeacher - Tidbury resigned from his job at the school after the offences emerged (Image: Newsquest)

She added: “I felt sick when I was told about what he had done to me and I don’t think I will ever be able to understand why he did this.”

Caroline Woodley, mitigating, said he had been working at the school for six years and managed to find alternative employment in customer service for a compliance company following his resignation.

She explained Tidbury had told the author of a pre-sentence report he had been looking at pornography during times of stress and the offences had developed out of that behaviour.

Gazette: Sentence - the case was originally heard at Colchester Magistrates' CourtSentence - the case was originally heard at Colchester Magistrates' Court (Image: Su Anderson/Archant)

Ms Woodley added: “The whole process has had a salutory effect on him. He’s been arrested, lost his job when he resigned and won’t be able to work as a teacher again.”

A restraining order was put in place banning Tidbury from contacting his victim or entering the school until March 2023.

He was also ordered to sign the sex offenders register for five years.