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Daily Mail
22 minutes ago
- Daily Mail
Teacher 'swigged from alcohol-smelling drink as she swore at pupils and tried to get them to dance the Macarena'
Pupils have described how a teacher allegedly drank alcohol during a lesson and played music as she tried to get the class to dance the Macarena. Alice Ashton was 'smiley and happy' as she was 'swigging' from a bottle but then became 'agitated', swore, and made rude hand gestures, one teenager claimed. Giving evidence in person on the second day of a professional standards hearing the 16-year-old said Ashton drank orange liquid which smelled of alcohol throughout a personal and social education lesson. The normally quiet teacher at Ysgol Bro Caereinion in Welshpool played music from her laptop and was behaving out of character during the 'rave-like' lesson, the Education Workforce Council (EWC) Wales panel heard on Tuesday July 1. When the class became unsettled, Ashton shouted and swore at at least two pupils as well as telling the whole class they were 'little s***s', the remote hearing was told. The 16-year-old pupil, referred to only as Pupil H to protect her identity, told the panel how pupils discussed afterwards how odd the teacher's behaviour had been. She was later interviewed as part of an investigation by the school into the matter. The teenager said Ashton had taught her PSE numerous times before the lesson in January 2024 when she had behaved differently from usual. The pupil said Ashton's 'boring' PSE lessons followed content she was familiar with and included alcohol and drug awareness but not on that day. Sitting in the front row of the class Pupil H said she was near enough to smell alcohol, mixed with what appeared to be orange squash, contained in an Evian water bottle. The bottle was full at the start of the lesson and almost empty by the end, the pupil added. 'She was very, very close to us. There was a slight alcoholic smell,' they said. 'She was very, very lively and quite animated and speaking with her hands. In other lessons she was more reserved and quiet.' Pupil H continued: 'Alice Ashton had an Evian bottle with orange juice. I noticed she was regularly taking swigs from the bottle. Ashton faces the following allegations at the EWC hearing 1. On September 19, 2023, at Telford Magistrates' Court, was convicted of driving with an alcohol over the limit on August 19, 2023, and as a consequence was sentenced to a 12-month community order, 200 hours of unpaid work, and disqualified from holding or obtaining a driving licence for 28 months. 2. On or around January 17, 2024, appeared under the influence and/or smelt of alcohol whilst at work. 3. On one or more dates in or around January 2024 acted in an inappropriate and/or unprofessional manner towards and/or in front of pupil(s), in that she: a) said 'f***' and/or 's***', or words to that effect; and/or b) told pupil(s) to 'suck it' and/or 'f*** off', or words to that effect; and/or c) called pupil(s) 'divvys' and/or 'little s***s', and/or 'little bitch', or words to that effect; and/or d) did not allow Pupil G and/or Pupil J to leave the classroom; and/or e) in response to Pupil G saying he would 'snitch', you said 'be my guest, while you go we will slag you off', and/or 'don't snitch', or words to that effect; and/or; f) put her middle finger up and/or made a 'V' sign with your fingers at Pupil G. 'I recall Alice Ashton asked the class to make the Macarena. She played music and we were not doing work.' The teenager described how Ashton 'kept jumping up from her desk' but became 'irritated' as the lesson went on. One pupil, referred to as Pupil J, wanted to put a certain song on but the teacher didn't want him to and when he played it on her laptop, the teacher 'swore and yelled at him'. Another pupil, Pupil G, was walking around the classroom 'annoying' people before Ashton told him to go out of the room but warned him 'not to snitch'. 'She began to swear at him. She put her middle finger two to three inches from his face and continued to swear at him,' Pupil H told the committee. The teacher then turned her annoyance on the class, she claimed. 'Alice Ashton swore at the whole class because we became rowdy.' Ashton was not present and not represented at the hearing and did not make any responses to the raft of allegations she faces, which means the allegations would usually be taken as denied. But she did email the EWC last summer saying she was no longer working as a teacher, was no longer in Wales, and had moved to England. Some of the responses Ashton had given to the school's inquiry were also detailed by EWC presenting officer Lewis Harrison. He said that Ashton had denied swearing or singing to the class when interviewed by the inquiry. CCTV footage of the class was also shown to the committee in private. Describing what the footage showed, Mr Harrison said it was totally at odds with Ashton's denials to the school's investigation. He said Ashton had claimed she played music at the end of the lesson only and may have sung along to it quietly but 'I would not have been singing to the class'. Mr Harrison said this was 'untenable' given the CCTV footage. 'It is totally untenable to suggest the music is being played as background music. The evidence is very clear that Miss Ashton did not remain at the front of the class. She invited pupils to dance,' he told the hearing. Mr Harrison also described in more detail how other pupils had described what happened during the class during the school's investigation. One child, Pupil A, said: 'She (Ashton) was slipping with swear words, talking a lot less formally, and having been so irresponsible it felt like a mini rave with loud music, shouting, and dancing.' Pupil A added that Ashton was 'acting crazy', her walking was wobbly, and she was 'not acting like a teacher'. Another said: 'She got us to dance the Macarena and she did not care about the lesson anymore... she got some students dancing to the laptop and speakers and it spiralled out of control.' Another pupil described how Ashton had told Pupil G to 'sit the f*** down'. At the start of the hearing the panel was told by the school investigator that the orange liquid Ashton had was tested for alcohol by the school. But she had not taken that into consideration because the school did not have an alcohol testing policy. Mr Harrison said evidence from pupils was clear that the liquid Ashton was drinking during the lesson that day smelled of alcohol and that she was presenting as being under the influence and acting out of character. The panel must decide whether any or all the allegations are proved and, if so, whether individually or collectively they amount to unacceptable profession. Ysgol Bro Caereinion, a bilingual, all age school, has more than 500 pupils aged four to 16. The school opened in September 2021 following the merger of Ysgol Gynradd Llanfair Caereinion and Ysgol Uwchradd Caereinion. The hearing continues.
BBC News
31 minutes ago
- BBC News
Cheshire Police arrest four suspects in high value burglary raids
Four people have been arrested following a spate of burglaries across the country, with items stolen thought to total more than £ Police said more than 30 officers from four forces were involved in the arrests of three Albanian men – aged 27, 28 and 30 – and a British woman aged carried out raids at addresses in Walsall, Sutton Coldfield and Birmingham as part of a wider operation investigating 37 burglaries – including 10 in four suspects were arrested on suspicion of conspiracy to commit burglary and were being held in police custody, the force added. The raids involved officers from Cheshire's serious and organised crime unit along with officers from Staffordshire Police, Derbyshire Police and Nottinghamshire said the operation covered high value burglaries that took place between October 2024 and March stolen included expensive watches and handbags, officers said, with more than £400,000 thought to have been stolen from Cheshire targeted included those in Alderley Edge, Prestbury, Macclesfield, Disley, Weston, Willaston and Whitegate. 'Crime spree' As well as the 10 burglaries in Cheshire, there were others in Staffordshire, Derbyshire, Nottinghamshire, Durham, Cleveland, West Mercia and Warwickshire."Our investigation has shown us that these incidents have been carefully planned and co-ordinated, and they've gone to great lengths to continue their crime spree across the country," said Det Sgt Laura Fox, of Cheshire Police."On each occasion the offenders have specifically targeted high value properties, breaking in via first floor windows and doors, and ransacking the premises to steal as much as possible."She said she hoped the arrests provided some reassurance to the victims and acted as a warning to criminals who are thinking of targeting Cheshire. Read more Cheshire stories from the BBC and follow BBC Stoke & Staffordshire on BBC Sounds, Facebook, X and Instagram.
BBC News
an hour ago
- BBC News
Two men in hospital after Piccadilly Gardens double stabbing
Two men have been stabbed in Manchester city centre, police have services were called to Piccadilly Gardens just after midnight following reports of an ongoing disturbance in which weapons were found two men - one in his 20s, the other in his 30s - with stab Manchester Police (GMP) said both men were taken to hospital. The force said one was in a critical condition while the other was receiving "ongoing treatment". GMP said its investigation was "ongoing" and that no arrests have been made.A Section 60 order has been approved within the ring road between Great Ancoats Street and Trinity Way, and Irwell Street between Trinity Way and New Quay gives officers extended powers to stop and search individuals within the order will be in place until 00:53 BST on Friday. Listen to the best of BBC Radio Manchester on Sounds and follow BBC Manchester on Facebook, X, and Instagram. You can also send story ideas via Whatsapp to 0808 100 2230.
