A FORMER acting headteacher at a Bromsgrove school has been banned from classrooms for life after a catalogue of "inappropriate" behaviour towards pupils.

The Education Secretary has imposed the lifelong ban on Brett Holden, the acting head on secondment at Catshill First School, Bromsgrove, between January and August 2012.

Mr Holden also served as deputy and later acting head of St George's Primary School between September 2008 and April 2013.

A National College for Teaching and Leadership (NCTL) professional conduct panel found that Mr Holden, 37, had "cuddled", "embraced" and "tickled" pupils, let them sit on his lap and called some by "pet" names, including "my princess".

He let one pupil call him "dad" and fed Angel Delight from a spoon to a girl during a lunchtime.

He had also, during a school trip, visited a dormitory alone without good reason after the girls using it had gone to bed and had been checked by female staff.

He took four girls in a car to a Build-A-Bear shop to buy teddy bears to use as school house mascots.

The panel proved the allegations against Mr Holden who was not present at the hearing, but admitted most of the allegations in writing.

He does have the right to appeal against the ban to the High Court.

Alan Meyrick, deputy director of the NCTL, said the evidence showed that Mr Holden had regularly had "physical contact of an inappropriate nature" with pupils - mainly girls in years five and six.

"This was serious repeated behaviour over a period of time," he added.

"In addition, Mr Holden was given warnings about his behaviour."

Mr Meyrick concluded that Mr Holden should be prohibited from teaching indefinitely - whether at a school, sixth form college, youth accommodation or children's home - and that he should not be entitled to apply to restore his eligibility to teach.