A school employee has been suspended after alleged sex offences against a pupil.

Police arrested the education department employee, a maintenance worker, at about 4pm yesterday following allegations of offences which are said to have taken place at John Mason County Secondary School, in Wootton Road, Abingdon.

The school's headteacher Jeremy Cunningham said: "A member of the site team (which takes care of maintenance and repair jobs at the school grounds) has been immediately suspended while police investigate this serious allegation." A school governors' disciplinary panel is currently being convened at John Mason following the arrest but no date has been set for its first meeting, Mr Cunningham said.

The employee, who has not been named, was questioned by Abingdon police before being released on police bail pending further enquiries.

Insp Graham Sutherland, at Abingdon police station, said further inquiries were already under way but the school employee had not been charged.

Story date: Tuesday 11 May

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