RUTHIN School has appointed head hunters to find a new head teacher following the sacking of the previous principal.

Mr Toby Belfield, was fired after being accused of sending inappropriate texts to pupils, and in one case a teenage girl claimed the messages became so frequent it had a serious impact on her mental health. The school had been at the centre of a storm of controversy about the texts.

A spokesperson for the school said: “Head hunters have been employed to find suitable candidates. The recruitment process is underway and progress is being made.”

Llyr Gruffydd, North Wales AM, said: “I welcome the news the school is moving to appoint a new head. It’s a chance for pupils, parents and staff to have a new start after a very distressing time.

"It’s also important that basic lessons are learnt by those responsible for his appointment and subsequent management.

"Moving forward, it will be interesting to see what job specifications are required by the Council of Management, which runs the school, as this will be a crucial appointment.”

At the time of the sacking a spokesperson for the school’s Council of Management said: “While external investigations have been ongoing, the Principal has not been carrying out his role.

"The Council received a report from the person we appointed to independently review Mr Belfield’s conduct, and on the basis of that, has decided to terminate Mr Belfield’s employment. The Vice Principal of the school, Mr Ian Welsby, has been appointed as Acting Principal until a permanent appointee has been selected.”