Teacher arrested for alleged attack

Jul 9 2009

A science teacher is being questioned by police after a schoolboy was left with serious head injuries following an alleged attack.

Peter Harvey was arrested by Nottinghamshire Police on Wednesday after the incident at All Saints' Roman Catholic School in Mansfield.

Parents at the school gates said the 14-year-old was allegedly hit with a weight.

The boy was taken to King's Mill Hospital in the town but his condition deteriorated during the afternoon and he was transferred to a specialist unit at the Queen's Medical Centre in Nottingham.

Nottinghamshire County Council, the local education authority, said the boy's condition had "slightly improved" overnight.

His family are with him and have asked for privacy, Nottinghamshire Police said.

A spokeswoman for the force said: "A 49-year-old was arrested and remains in custody in connection with this incident. The police investigation is being led by Detective Superintendent Adrian Pearson, with specialist officers from the public protection unit. They are working with the headteacher and staff at All Saints' Roman Catholic School."

The school is located in a rundown area of Mansfield and boarded-up houses line the street around it.

Chris Holmes, 19, a semi-pro wrestler and former pupil at the school, said: "I'm shocked. He was an all right teacher and a decent guy. He was not one of those guys where you would go 'Oh no, I've got him next'."

Tom Blythe, also 19 and a former pupil at the school, said: "I didn't think the pupils would give him stick. He was actually a decent bloke and got involved in school plays." He described the teacher as "a bit of a legend". "It must have been serious for him to snap."