A former Cornish headteacher has been banned from teaching indefinitely after his actions were found to have the potential to bring the profession into disrepute.

Neil Wilkinson-McKie was found to have treated six members of staff unfairly and, of those, bullied three. He also used inappropriate and offensive language about four members of staff.

A professional conduct panel of the Teaching Regulation Agency in Coventry also found that Mr Wilkinson-McKie was misleading and dishonest when reporting to the governing body about the reasons for the low attendance figures; that he was dishonest and acted improperly when seeking to influence a disciplinary investigation into five members of staff; that he acted dishonestly when submitted a staff member's resignation letter; and that he misled the governors and was dishonest when presenting the results of the staff survey, in which one staff member wrote: "The head tells so many lies, big and small."

During the hearing he admitted saying that a staff member was "playing the discrimination card" because of her pregnancy and maternity leave.

He also agreed that he had described another staff member as a "nasty, nasty piece of work' and would "make up anything to get himself out of something."

He denied saying the staff member was "evil," "Teflon coated" and "should not be anywhere around children," but the panel believed the evidence given to them.

Mr Wilkinson-McKie was also found to have asked one staff member to leave the school immediately, without allowing him to speak to anyone or return to his classroom to collect his belongings.

The hearing heard that one staff member was told to send an email with an offer of "severance payment" of £30,000 to another staff member, if they left by a certain date; it also included a proposal that the staff member withdraw his grievance against the headteacher.

Mr Wilkinson-McKie, 44, served as headteacher of Roseland Academy (formerly known as the Roseland Community College) between September 1, 2012 and May 25, 2016.

As a result of what they heard, the panel found that his conduct involved breaches of the Teachers’ Standards, and were satisfied that Mr Wilkinson-McKie was guilty of unacceptable professional conduct. It therefore found that Mr Wilkinson-McKie's actions constituted conduct that might bring the profession into disrepute.

He can now no longer teach in any school, sixth form college, relevant youth accommodation or children’s home in England.

Although he can apply for the prohibition order to be set aside, he cannot do so for at least five years.

Mr Wilkinson-McKie taught at the school up to the spring of 2012, when he was told his contract would not be extended.

However, shortly afterwards, the existing headteacher announced her intention to resign at the end of the academic year and her post became available with effect from September 2012.

Mr Wilkinson-McKie applied for the post and was shortlisted along with two external candidates. Despite adverse feedback to the interview panel from many members of staff, Mr Wilkinson-McKie was selected and his appointment was ratified by the governors.