Will Duckworth was sacked as a teacher after complaints by pupils and parents

The Green Party ignored allegations that its former deputy leader had been involved in sexual misconduct with children, allowing him to remain as a councillor and continue at senior levels of the party for a further two years.

The party admitted last night that it was guilty of “a serious omission and failure” over Will Duckworth, 65, who was its second most senior figure until 2014, a parliamentary candidate in 2015 and a Green councillor until 2016.

An email, seen by The Sunday Times, shows senior staff at the party’s headquarters were told of the allegations against Duckworth as early as December 2014. But no action was taken until last month.

The Greens, whose former slogan was “A confident and caring Britain”, began a full