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Megan Stammers: Gove was contacted by child protection expert | |
(35 minutes later) | |
A child protection expert has said she wrote to the education secretary amid "serious concerns" about the school of missing teenager Megan Stammers. | |
Megan, 15, has not been seen since leaving the UK for France last week with maths teacher Jeremy Forrest, 30. | |
Campaigner Lucy Duckworth said she wrote to Michael Gove about Bishop Bell School months ago, fearing its protection policy was inadequate. | |
Mr Gove's office was not immediately available for comment. | |
The Eastbourne school said it had a "robust" safeguarding policy in place. | The Eastbourne school said it had a "robust" safeguarding policy in place. |
'Extremely hostile' | 'Extremely hostile' |
Terry Boatwright, executive head teacher at Megan's school, said: "Bishop Bell School... takes safeguarding very seriously and the effectiveness of its safeguarding procedures is rated 'outstanding' by Ofsted." | Terry Boatwright, executive head teacher at Megan's school, said: "Bishop Bell School... takes safeguarding very seriously and the effectiveness of its safeguarding procedures is rated 'outstanding' by Ofsted." |
However, Ms Duckworth, from the National Association for People Abused in Childhood, said the school was "extremely hostile" when she wrote several times asking to see its child protection policy. | However, Ms Duckworth, from the National Association for People Abused in Childhood, said the school was "extremely hostile" when she wrote several times asking to see its child protection policy. |
She said the school refused to send her a copy, despite it not having a version available online. | She said the school refused to send her a copy, despite it not having a version available online. |
Her concerns followed a separate incident in 2009, in which a teacher at Bishop Bell was jailed for starting a sexual relationship with two teenage pupils. | Her concerns followed a separate incident in 2009, in which a teacher at Bishop Bell was jailed for starting a sexual relationship with two teenage pupils. |
PE teacher Robert Healy was jailed for seven years after grooming them on social networking site Bebo. | PE teacher Robert Healy was jailed for seven years after grooming them on social networking site Bebo. |
Meanwhile, it has been confirmed that Sussex Police were made aware of concerns over Megan's relationship with Mr Forrest, an amateur musician from Ringmer, near Lewes, last week. | Meanwhile, it has been confirmed that Sussex Police were made aware of concerns over Megan's relationship with Mr Forrest, an amateur musician from Ringmer, near Lewes, last week. |
The force has released CCTV images of the pair holding hands on a ferry from Dover to Calais at 21:30 BST on Thursday. | The force has released CCTV images of the pair holding hands on a ferry from Dover to Calais at 21:30 BST on Thursday. |
The search for the pair is ongoing in Europe amid theories they may have moved on from France. | The search for the pair is ongoing in Europe amid theories they may have moved on from France. |