A man has been banned from teaching for life after being found guilty of taking/possessing nearly 8,000 indecent images of children and engaging in sexual activity with a boy under 13.
Richard Ashley, 59, a former science teacher at North Kesteven Academy from September 2013 to September 2016, was found guilty of eight offences in August 2020.
They included six offences of taking or making indecent images of children and two of sexual activity with a boy under 13. He was given a two-year suspended prison sentence and must sign the sex offenders register for 10 years.
A Professional Conduct Panel meeting on behalf of the Secretary of State has now banned him from teaching indefinitely, meaning he cannot teach in any school, sixth form college, relevant youth accommodation or children’s home in England and cannot apply for that to be revoked at a later date.
A report around the decision said the panel “was satisfied that the conduct of Mr Ashley was wholly contrary to the standards expected of the teaching profession, and [his] conduct was at the more serious end of the spectrum”.
The report said the offences took place between 2008 and 2016 and were “outside of the school setting” but added: “The behaviour involved in committing the offences could have had an impact on the safety or security of pupils and/or members of the public.”
A total of 7,767 indecent images were found on devices belonging to Mr Ashley and the offences included taking photos or filming while camping at a nudist site in France.
“Public confidence in the profession could be seriously weakened if conduct such as that found against Mr Ashley were not treated with the utmost seriousness when regulating the conduct of the profession,” said the report.
The panel had not received any mitigation from Mr Ashley, and said despite sentencing remarks by the judge, the panel was “not provided with any evidence in respect of Mr Ashley’s insight or remorse in respect of his conduct”.
“There was no evidence that Mr Ashley’s actions were not deliberate. There was no evidence to suggest that Mr Ashley was acting under extreme duress, and, in fact, the panel found Mr Ashley’s actions to be calculated and motivated.”
North Kesteven Academy has been contacted for a comment.
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The final in the latest series of road closures for works on the A1, as part of the Grantham Southern Relief Road project, has been temporarily postponed
A weekend northbound A1 closure was due to be in place between 8pm on Friday, May 20 and 6am on Monday, May 23.
However, Lincolnshire County Council said the closure has been temporarily postponed and once new dates have been confirmed they will be shared.
Works on phase three began in April this year, with the council anticipating that winter 2023 will be the completion date for the relief road.
This will be with the view to reduce congestion and carbon emissions, and provide opportunities for growth in the local economy.
The £102 million Grantham Southern Relief Road project has been led by Lincolnshire County Council, supported by South Kesteven District Council, Highways England, Greater Lincolnshire LEP, Network Rail, Homes England, the Department for Transport and local business contributions.
Safety improvements have been carried out at corner where numerous accidents have occurred in East Keal.
The council is looking into what else can be done to prevent motorists from coming off the road at Hall Corner, while police are looking into the possibility of fitting a speed camera.
A cement lorry recently overturned on the corner in February.
Lincolnshire County Council has found a slight dip in the road where Blacksmith Lane meets the A16 could be the reason why heavy vehicles travelling at excessive speed are tipping over.
It is considering whether to smooth out and realign the road, but says it is concious of the impact that closing the A16 would have on traffic and local businesses.
Several safety improvement measures have already been put in place, including ‘slow’ markings, enhanced bend warning signs and improved chevrons.
Problems have been found with the road surface on the corner. | Photo: Google Street View
Lincolnshire Police are assessing whether a speed camera on the corner would be beneficial, and will be taking speed readings in the coming weeks.
Larger barriers and longer safety fencing have been proposed by the public. However, the county council says that in order for it to be big enough to withstand the impact of overturned vehicles, the cost can’t be justified.
Either the local parish council or the country council could also explore whether to fund a reactive speed sign on the location.
Richard Davies, executive member for highways, said: “We are very thankful to the residents and members of the parish council who have given us their ideas and support in what can be done at Hall Corner. Local knowledge and personal feedback are cornerstones of what we do in terms of delivering the best solutions in the most informed way.
“There has already been much done at this bend to try and mitigate the issues faced and we now have more planned for this particular area that will go on to encourage all road users to drive accordingly in line with the road and conditions.
“I would like to thank everyone involved so far for their input. We will all work together to get the best resolution we can for Hall Corner.”
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