A teacher at a Steiner school accused of “sexually motivated” inappropriate behaviour with pupils has been struck off.

Denis McCarthy, who taught at Rudolf Steiner School Kings Langley (RSSKL) for 34 years, was accused of pushing a 10-year-old pupil against a wall and pulling her underwear down. He was also alleged to have “gone in and out of the girls’ tents” on a camping trip.

He would pick pupils up by the waist, sit them on his lap and put his arms around them while they played with his hair, a professional misconduct panel in Coventry heard.

One mother saw Mr McCarthy touching her daughter's neck and “drawing letters” on her back as she sat on his lap “in a manner that seemed sensual”.

Sue Peat, a trustee at the school from 2006 to 2016, said teachers felt “threatened” and “intimidated” by Mr McCarthy and were scared to raise the alarm.

Martin Pilkington, the panel chair, said: “It is not for a teacher to act as a surrogate parent and conduct that leads to such a relationship to develop is inappropriate and crosses the professional boundaries.

“It is essential that teachers maintain professional and unambiguous boundaries between themselves and pupils at all times.”