St Paul's teacher resigns amid sex abuse claims

The male teacher left the prestigious girls' school after claims of abuse from the 1970s to 1990s

A male teacher has resigned from a prestigious girls' school amid claims of historical sexual abuse.

High mistress Sarah Fletcher wrote to ex-pupils of St Paul's Girls' School on Wednesday to announce the immediate departure of the staff member.

Mrs Fletcher said it would be inappropriate to name him while his suitability for teaching and working with children is assessed.

Police are not currently investigating any claims, she added.

In her letter, Mrs Fletcher said: "Some of these allegations, dating back several decades, concern a current member of staff who has decided to resign his position with immediate effect in the best interests of all concerned."

#MeToo campaign

Ex-pupils' accounts of abuse at the £24,000-a-year fee-paying school emerged last week.

The alumnae, known as Old Paulinas, shared their experiences after St Paul's asked them about harassment in the workplace.

Mrs Fletcher said claims were made of abuse "spanning from the 1970s to 1990s".

Mrs Fletcher added that two alumnae gave personal accounts while others described "what they had heard from friends".

The Hammersmith school had been gathering information for a drama project following the #MeToo campaign.

Last month the hashtag was trending across the world victims shared accounts of sexual assault and harassment on social media.