School did not retain historical sexual abuse evidence

Edinburgh Academy said letters detailing the physical and sexual abuse of pupils were not kept

A head teacher of a school at the centre of an abuse scandal has admitted he does not know what happened to evidence of complaints.

Barry Welsh said letters detailing a litany of physical and sexual abuse at Edinburgh Academy in the 1970s were no longer kept.

More than 20 former teachers and staff at the school have been accused of attacks on pupils - including the broadcaster Nicky Campbell.

A BBC Panorama documentary highlighting the latest allegations is due to be shown on Thursday evening.

Iain Wares (centre) is facing abuse charges at Wynberg Magistrate's Court in Cape Town

Many of the accusations surround Iain Wares, who was employed by both the Academy and Fettes College in the 1960s and 1970s.

Both schools were warned about the allegations but neither reported them to police.

The 83-year-old, who is fighting extradition from South Africa to face charges over his conduct, was described by a lawyer for survivors as "one of the most prolific abusers in Scottish criminal history".

• Watch: My Teacher the Abuser - Fighting for Justice

Mr Welsh, who became rector of Edinburgh Academy in 2017, met two former pupils, Neil Douglas and Neil Russell, as part of the Panorama film, describing them as "amazing people".

He said the school was trying to build a relationship with some former pupils that would in a small part help in "taking away the pain that we caused them".

He told them "a number of complaints" were made to the school during the 1970s, but "records don’t exist and those letters have not been kept".

Asked if he found that extraordinary, Mr Welsh said: "Yes, if the school held those records and then chose to destroy them, or to conceal them - I've just no idea - then that's absolutely appalling."

Wares had previously left St George’s Grammar School in Cape Town in 1967 after eight complaints of sexual abuse from boys.

He arrived in Scotland for psychiatric treatment over his sexual attraction to children before being employed by the Academy months later.

Mr Welsh added: "If the school was aware that Wares was a prolific abuser and were merely allowing him to move on elsewhere and carry on that abuse then that is unforgiveable.”

The documentary also found Fettes gave Wares a "glowing reference" allowing him to leave Scotland in 1979 and continue teaching in South Africa.

That came four years after a pupil, Jed Gordon, and his mother complained he had suffered sexual abuse at the hands of Wares.

The school's then headmaster did not sack him or inform police, but instead sent the teacher for a further course of psychiatric treatment.

Nicky Campbell witnessed Wares abusing boys at Edinburgh Academy

Wares is due to stand trial for indecent assault in South Africa in February 2024.

Nicky Campbell, who spoke out after hearing allegations about Wares on a BBC Radio 4 programme, was not abused by the teacher, but did witness the abuse of another pupil.

He praised the courage of his fellow pupils, telling the documentary: "I think one of the most incredible things about the past year and a half is that, as much as the evil behaviour of Iain Wares is a sad, dark manifestation of aspects of the human condition, what we’ve seen in the last year in the terms of the courage and the coming together and the camaraderie is a wonderful, inspiring aspect."

Mr Campbell, 62, previously told the Scottish Child Abuse Inquiry Wares had abused boys "on an industrial scale".

Both schools have issued public apologies to pupils who suffered abuse.

In a statement, the Academy said it "accepts responsibility and [again] expresses it sincerest and wholehearted apology to the boys who were failed and all the others who were affected”.

Fettes College said: "We sincerely and unreservedly apologise to those who suffered and deeply regret what they went through."

Panorama, My Teacher the Abuser: Fighting for Justice airs on BBC One at 9pm on Thursday 30 November