Two governors quit at sex abuse head's school

Neil Foden, who was convicted of 19 charges, was the head of Ysgol Friars, in Bangor, Gwynedd

The chairman and deputy chairman of governors at a school whose former head teacher was found guilty of child sex offences have stepped down.

Neil Foden, the former head of Ysgol Friars, in Bangor, Gwynedd, faces jail after being convicted of 19 charges in total.

The chair of governors Essie Ahari and his deputy Keith Horton have now stepped down with immediate effect.

The local council, Cyngor Gwynedd, confirmed they had left their roles and thanked them for their service to the school.

A spokesperson said: “Officers from the council’s education department continue to support the board of governors with their work, and especially as they proceed to select a new chair and deputy chair.”

Foden was convicted of 12 counts of sexual activity with a child and two counts of sexual activity with a child in a position of trust following a three-week trial.

He was also convicted of one count each of causing or inciting child sexual activity, attempting to arrange the commission of a child sex offence, sexual communication with a child, possession of indecent photographs of a child and sexual assault of a child.

He had denied all the charges at Mold Crown Court and claimed he had not had physical contact with the girls.

There is no suggestion the governors were implicated in or aware of Foden’s behaviour.

Foden joined Ysgol Friars as a deputy head in 1989, becoming head in 1997.

He was also strategic head of Ysgol Dyffryn Nantlle secondary school in Penygroes.

Judge Rhys Rowlands said it was worrying that when concerns were first raised to the local council about Foden in 2019 by a senior member of staff, "they were dismissed out of hand, no investigation took place, no note was taken of what was said or done, and now we know you continued to offend".