A SHAMED primary school teacher who was caught consistently watching gay porn sites containing 'young looking males' was struck off, the Chronicle can reveal.

"Naive and reckless" Nick Grimshaw, who taught at St Michael's School in Tilehurst, stunned colleagues when they discovered he had accessed the naughty sites on the school's network.

Concerns were first raised in January 2014 when another teacher found pornographic images on a laptop which belonged to the Church of England school.

A professional conduct hearing into his behaviour heard that police found it "difficult if not impossible" to guarantee the age of the people in the images found on the computer.

Government officials announced that Mr Grimshaw has been banned from teaching for life, on Thursday, October 27.

The report into his behaviour reads: "Mr Grimshaw accessed pornography through the school network, on repeated occasions, over a significant period of time.

"Search terms Mr Grimshaw was using were unacceptable for a teacher.

"There are a number of statements in the hearing bundle which would case some doubt as to Mr Grimshaw's ability as a teacher."

Bosses at St Michael's school, previously rated 'Good' by Ofsted, drafted in IT specialists, who eventually passed the case over to Thames Valley Police.

An investigation revealed he used the school's Gmail address more than 670 times to access various pornographic websites.

The panel heard how the 34-year-old claimed he had no idea he was logged onto the school's private network when he was searching for images, using terms including 'skipping school'.

He was eventually dismissed from his job, which he held for around nine years, and was described as having shown "no remorse" for his actions.

The report continues: "Although the activities found proven did not take place at the school premises, the websites were accessed using the school's network.

"He explained during oral evidence that his actions took place in the privacy of his own home, on his own personal equipment.

"Mr Grimshaw was naive and reckless as to whether he was still logged in."

Mr Grimshaw, better known as Nick, faced a conduct panel in Coventry where he was told he can never work as a teacher again.

A decision made by Jayne Millions, on behalf of Justine Greening, secretary of state for education, reads: "Nicholas Grimshaw is prohibited from teaching indefinitely and cannot teach in any school, six form college, relevant youth accommodation or children's home in England.

"I have decided that Mr Grimshaw shall not be entitled to apply for restoration of his ability to teach."

A spokesman for Reading Borough Council added: "We would like to reassure parents that the misconduct did not take place in the school, at no time were any pupils involved or at risk of being harmed and the school acted swiftly when the matter was discovered."