Anger as teacher walks free

Paul Bodley, aged 55, a former head of music at Redhill School, Stourbridge, walked away from Wolverhampton Crown Court with a three-year community order yesterday.

The married father-of-two was also put on the sex offenders' register for the next five-years and will not be able to work with anyone under the age of 18 without permission.

Bodley, of Church View, Bewdley, admitted installing a video camera in a toilet at the school last year.

But both parents and governors from the school in Junction Road say the married father-of-two should have got a prison sentence.

Steve Clifton, of Stourbridge, who has two daughters at the school, said: "This does not send the right message and is not a deterent in any way.

"It could open the floodgates for people who look at this sentence and think they can get away with this sort of thing in the future.

"The only way to put people like this off is to show them what the inside of a prison cell is like."

Councillor Les Jones, a governor at Redhill, said: "I think he got off lightly and I think the law is weak in this area. I do think he should have been made to sign the sex offenders register for a lifetime rather than just five-years. "I am not a great believer in locking people up for the sake of it, but what he did was unforgivable, breaching the trust of the whole community."

Parents including Mr Clifton were also dismayed that Mr Bodley had got a job at Redhill after it was revealed he had been sacked from a previous school for alleged professional misconduct.

Mr Clifton said: "I would like to see a forum set up with parents and councillors and the school now because we need some answers over how he came to be working at the school in the first place." Councillor Jones said: "That is a natural thing for parents to feel and I do not think they can be blamed for that."

John Freeman, director of children's services, said: "We regret the distress caused to staff and students of the school by the actions taken by Paul Bodley.

"We were all very shocked by this. I'm confident the school took all necessary actions immediately the offence came to light.

"It is not for me to comment on the appropriateness of the sentence.

"But I can say I am reassured that Paul Bodley will never again be able to work with children and young people."

Detective Inspector Mark Wilson, from Stourbridge CID, said: "We are pleased with the result and that this offender was brought to justice.

"It was important his offending was identified, preventing him from having the level of trust and responsibility he previously had.

"We hope the sentence offers some comfort to the victims."