A female teacher at Danesfield Church of England School, Williton, in Somerset, was suspended this week after allegedly putting sticky tape over the mouths of noisy ten-year-old pupils during a lesson on Monday.

The 500-pupil middle school is part of a C of E multi-academy trust, whose executive head, Ian Bradbury, said that the teacher involved had been suspended pending an investigation of the incident.

"We take the welfare of our pupils very seriously. The incident is being thoroughly investigated so we can come to the appropriate decision."

The incident gained widespread publicity this week after a pupil's mother reported it to local newspapers. Earlier she had contacted the police, who referred her complaint to the school.