The village has an extraordinary history

A charming little village in the very south-eastern corner of Cambridgeshire was once the site of a Norman castle and its closest bustling town is actually part of another county. The quaint village of Castle Camps is nestled amongst beautiful countryside and lies around 15-miles from Cambridge.

Strangely, the village’s closest town is Haverhill in the county of Suffolk – just less than 10-minutes away by car. Castle Camps also has close connections to Essex. The small village of Helions Bumpstead lies less than five minutes away from the village by car.

Previously named Great Camps and Camps Green, the village is named after Castle Camps – a Norman castle once located in what is now the civil parish of Castle Camps.

During the Second World War, the village was home to an RAF station which was established in 1939. It operated as a satellite for RAF Debden and RAF North Weald until its closure in 1946 where the land was later sold.

The village has a few of its own amenities in its own right including a recently reopened pub called The Oak. The Oak, formerly The Cock, is situated on High Street and offers a beautifully maintained beer garden. The Oak’s management team recently announced in April that they were firing up the kitchen again to relaunch their food service following their reopening.

Castle Camps also has its own primary school which offers “an excellent all-round education and a fantastic start in life” for children aged three to 11 years, according to the primary school.

Alongside a countryside pub and a school, Castle Camps also houses a village hall which acts as a prime meeting point amongst the locals and visitors alike. The popular building hosts a range of functions and celebrations such as exhibitions, meetings, luncheons, wedding receptions and of course, parties. The building accommodates up to 160 people within a main hall and small hall that can be used as one.

House prices in Castle Camps have an overall average of £424,621 over the last year, according to Rightmove. The majority of properties sold in Castle Camps during the last year were semi-detached properties, selling for an average price of £492,828. Meanwhile, terraced properties sold for an average of £220,000. In comparison, the average house price in South Cambridgeshire was £430,000 in March 2026 (provisional), according to Office for National Statistics.

Members of the public cheered as Charles and Camilla and William and Kate arrived, and there were shouts of “hip hip hooray” as bride Sperling arrived along with her three bridesmaids, Phillips’ children Savannah, 15, and Isla, 14, as well as Sperling’s teenage daughter Georgina.

The wildlife park is so easy to reach from Cambridgeshire and could be a good day out for the summer.

A wildlife park that you can visit from Cambridgeshire for a day trip has been named one of the best attractions in England. VisitEngland recently revealed the winners of its 2026 Awards for Excellence with Jimmy’s Farm and Wildlife Park being given the gold award for Large Visitor Attraction of the Year.

The awards included categories for things such as ‘Self-Catering Accommodation of the Year’, ‘Pub of the Year’, and ‘Small Hotel of the Year’. Gold, silver, and bronze awards were given for each of the categories to highlight some of the best businesses in the tourism industry.

VisitEngland Director Andrew Stokes said: “The awards are a celebration of England’s outstanding tourism industry and an opportunity to highlight the excellence that makes it world leading.

“From a hands-on, traditional blacksmith’s visitor experience in the Midlands and a castle hotel and spa set in one of our national parks to accessible and inclusive holidays, these awards showcase the exceptional quality, unparalleled customer service and innovation that drive our industry.

“I congratulate the wonderful range of first-class award recipients, all of whom are so passionate about tourism. They are all deserving winners.”

Jimmy’s Farm and Wildlife Park has around 100 species and breeds of animals to see including zebras, pigs, polar bears, and tigers. If you are more interested in insects, there are a few to see at the wildlife park such as beetles and ants as well as butterflies you can see while walking around the butterfly house.

If you want to get up close to some of the animals, you might want to book an animal experience where you will be able to spend some time with them in their enclosures, feed them, and help to bath or groom them. You can choose from a range of different animals to spend time with including capybaras, donkeys, and different farm animals.

After taking a walk around the park and seeing the animals, there is a huge play area suitable for children of all ages. The play area features a giant sandpit, a wooden playground for children to run around, climbing pyramids, and even a hobbit house.

In terms of food, you can pop into the Barn restaurant and coffee house for either breakfast or lunch. The Barn’s menu features a range of dishes that will set you up for the day as well as larger meals that change depending on the season.

Tickets for the wildlife park cost £25 for adults and £20 for children between the ages of two and 16. You can stay in the park for as long as you want.

Jimmy’s Farm and Wildlife Park can be found on Pannington Hall Lane, which is around an hour and 10-minute drive away from Cambridge via the A14. There is a car park onsite that is free for all visitors to use.

Restaurant Number 20, in Port Mulgrave between Staithes and Runswick Bay, currently holds a 4.9-star rating on TripAdvisor.

Located in a former village pub just a short walk from the Cleveland Way, the restaurant is run by chef Jason Davies and his wife, Sue.

The couple is well known to many food lovers in the region, having previously run the acclaimed Fox and Hounds at Goldsborough before opening Restaurant Number 20 in 2018.

Restaurant Number 20, in Port Mulgrave (Image: TRIPADVISOR)

Since then, the restaurant has built a reputation for high-quality seafood, locally sourced ingredients, and a simple menu focused on seasonal produce.

The intimate restaurant seats just 24 diners and features an open kitchen, allowing guests to watch food being prepared.

Jason specialises in fish and shellfish dishes, with menu items regularly featuring sea bass, turbot, sea trout, crab and other locally sourced ingredients.

Steaks cooked on the restaurant’s Josper charcoal grill are also among the most popular choices.

Visitors regularly praise both the food and the atmosphere.

One reviewer described it as “the most amazing restaurant I have ever been to”, adding: “The food was divine. Service was unbelievable, and it’s a beautiful family-run business.”

Another called it a “hidden gem”, praising the location, food and hospitality.

Many diners highlight the restaurant’s deliberately small menu, which typically offers a choice of three starters, three mains and three desserts.

One visitor said: “There’s a very small set menu but no limit to the quality of the dishes on offer.”

Several reviews mention seafood dishes, including crab risotto, turbot, sea bass, John Dory and brill, while others praise the restaurant’s steaks and desserts.

The panna cotta has become particularly popular among customers.

One reviewer described it as “world beating”, while another said all three desserts on offer were “delicious”.

The restaurant’s atmosphere also receives regular praise.

Visitors frequently mention the open kitchen, roaring fire and attentive service from Sue, who manages front of house and curates the wine list.

One customer described the experience as “an intimate dining room with excellent unfussy service”, while another said it felt like “a private dining experience with friends”.

Although not inexpensive, many diners say the quality justifies the price.

One reviewer wrote: “Worth every penny.”

Another added: “What the team have created here is nothing short of sensational.”

The restaurant’s location also adds to its appeal.

Port Mulgrave is one of the quieter corners of the North Yorkshire coastline, sitting between the popular destinations of Staithes and Runswick Bay.

Many visitors combine a meal at Restaurant Number 20 with walks along the Cleveland Way or visits to the surrounding coastline.

With dozens of five-star reviews and a growing reputation among food lovers, Restaurant Number 20 has become one of North Yorkshire’s standout dining destinations, according to online reviews.

The actress celebrated turning 18 years old

Emmerdale star Amelia Flanagan was sent birthday love from her fellow soap star siblings as she celebrated a personal milestone.

The 18-year-old actress made her soap debut as April Windsor back in 2014 – the daughter of Marlon Dingle and the deceased Donna Windsor.

Over the last two years in the ITV soap, Amelia has found herself at the centre of some of the biggest and darkest storylines as of late.

It wasn’t until February last year that viewers saw what had happened to April in a special episode dedicated to her life on the streets. Throughout the flashbacks, April was pregnant but hid it from her family to avoid causing any more upset.

Soon, she ran out of money and her friends kept letting her down as she had nowhere to stay. She began sleeping rough and sadly had a still birth before being taken into hospital.

After returning home with Dylan whom she met on the streets, the pair got themselves involved with the villainous Ray Walters and Celia Daniels.

With their drug lord and modern slavery business ruining lives across the village, the pair eventually met a deadly end. Since then, April and Dylan have been desperate to rebuild their lives away from the darkness.

During last year’s British Soap Awards, Amelia took home the win for Best Young Performer which was Emmerdale’s second win with EastEnders sweeping the awards.

Amelia has two younger twin siblings Isabella and William, who play Hope Stape and Joseph Brown respectively in rival soap Coronation Street.

On Saturday (June 6), Amelia celebrated turning 18 and on an Instagram account for all three siblings ran by their parents, a tribute gushed: “Happy 18th birthday to our wonderful girl @ameliaflanagan08 At this exact time 18 years ago you made us into a family, You continue to amaze us with everything you’ve already achieved, today’s about you our love enjoy every second”.

Her soap star siblings then also shared their love for Amelia, with Isabella posting a selection of snaps over the years as she wrote: “happy 18th birthday mealie moo my big sister I love you so much and have always looked up to you! Have fun adulting even though you’ve been parenting me since forever xxx”.

William then added his own story and penned: “Happy 18th birthday mealie! Have the best day love you lots xx”. Co-star Lisa Riley also wished Amelia a happy birthday, adding: “we love you”.

Emmerdale airs on weeknights at 8pm on ITV1 and is available to stream on ITVX and YouTube from 7am.

Since the Punch Bowl Inn re-opened in the posh village of Marton Cum Grafton, just south of Boroughbridge, a month ago, it has been receiving five star reviews.

As part of a small collection of Gastropubs owned by Simon Wade of Boroughbridge, the Punch Bowl certainly has high standards to meet to fit in with his others.

They are the excellent Blue Bell Inn at nearby Arkendale, the always popular and lovely Grantham Arms in Boroughbridge; plus the Fox and Hounds at Langthorpe, which I have yet to try.

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The Punch Bowl at Marton Cum Grafton back open after revamp

Until recently, Simon owned the Tapp and the Tutt in Boroughbridge, which he sold to a pubco last month, having turned around the former Three Horse Shoes.

A most enjoyable and magnificent and nice looking fish pie (Image: Darren Greenwood)

Turning around pubs seems to be Simon’s speciality and he is certainly repeating his success at the Punch Bowl Inn.

Until he bought it this year, that too was owned by a pubco and it seemed to have gone a bit downhill. And early this century, the pub was also well known as being part-owned by tv actor Neil Morrissey.

Mum loved her scampi and had a piece or two before I’d chance to take a picture of it. (Image: Darren Greenwood)

Anyway, after a brief closure in the Spring, the Punch Bowl has undergone a major makeover, with rustic style fabrics and décor that ooze class and tradition, giving a very appealing look.

There are several dining areas, a main bar, and outside is an impressive beer garden.

I arrived with mum and dad one Friday evening and Dad’s Volvo fitted in well with the cars packing the car park. Luckily there were still a few places available and the venue was quite busy, with many enjoying the warm sun outside.

Fish and chips on a Friday! (Image: Darren Greenwood)

We hadn’t booked, but fortunately, there were still a few tables available and we were shown to our table.

A young girl on her first night took our drinks order but she did not know what beers there were. She returned a few minutes later and rattled off a decent list most enthusiastically.

Dad had a pint of Theakston’s Best (£5.20), mum half of Guinness (£3.40) and I had a pint of Kirkstall IPA (£6.60). The beers were well kept and good.

We ordered three of the Yorkshire Tapas (£10 each or 3 for £25), choosing the Gin Cured Salmon, Smoked Haddock Croquette and King Prawns, as a starter to share between us.

The rustic and classy interior on opening day in May (Image: Darren Greenwood)

The salmon came with fennel and dill, which contrasted each other beautifully and was enjoyed by all.

We all sampled a little of the smoked haddock croquette, which came with a curried mayo and spiced mango coulis. Again the flavours complemented each other well and this too was enjoyed by all.

But best of all were the Chilli and Garlic Sauteed King Prawns, which had been sauteed in Yorkshire rapeseed oil and served with charred lemon. Again, a fine complement of flavour, with the charred aftertaste a great delight. We all enjoyed sharing the prawns.

As it was Friday, Dad ordered Fish, Chips and Peas (£20), mum her usual Scampi (£18.50), and I settled for Fish Fie (£22).

Now, Dad thought the haddock was a little lacking in flavour, but he enjoyed the chips and the mushy peas. I tried a piece of his fish and thought it was fine, though maybe the batter was a little too crispy. The hand cut chips were fine too, with a soft centre as if done nicely in the oven.

The rustic and classy interior on opening day in May (Image: Darren Greenwood)

Mum loved her scampi and there were a couple of pieces more than in the photo and both of us agreed the Scampi was also very good.

I thoroughly enjoyed my fish pie, which was presented well, looking very colourful due to the Cheddar cheese, which boosted the flavour of a lovely, smooth mash. Underneath were plenty of king prawn, white fish and salmon, which I soon polished off.

The pie came with seasonal vegetables- namely lovely and soft large pieces of carrot, some delightfully (steamed?) cabbage. Dad also polished off my broccoli, as I’m not into broccoli.

Whilst we were more than satisfied with our meal, it was different at the table next door. They had all ordered steak and after initially saying how lovely they looked as they arrived, two complained soon after saying they had ordered them to be cooked ‘medium’ and they came out more ‘medium-rare’.

The Punch Bowl Inn enjoying some evening sun (Image: Darren Greenwood)

One persevered with the steak but another asked for it to be taken back, and the server said they would replace it. It was replaced without any fuss and later I heard the diner tell the server her new steak was ‘perfect.’ Apart from the one who did not send her steak back, the three other diners also seemed very happy with their steaks.

Now, we were quite full so we did not bother with dessert. But there is an extensive range. There’s a pizza menu too. The pub serves sandwiches and there is also Sunday Roast. Plenty of choice for everyone, vegans, vegetarians, coeliacs, etc.

The bill came to £100.70, and though not the cheapest, we had enjoyed a fine meal in beautiful surroundings. The history and charm of this 16th Century village pub is a sight to see and treasure.

A most lovely beer garden on a fine Friday evening (Image: Darren Greenwood)

The service was still very good, warm and friendly, and staff will do their best to put things right should they go wrong, as seen with the table next door.

We left feeling very satisfied and we look forward to trying other things on a future visit.

It was about 7.30pm and there were still plenty sat outside enjoying the beer garden.

Should the warm weather return, sitting outside in the sun sounds most excellent, perhaps with a pizza. or a meat dish.

The Punch Bowl is punching very nicely and is a highly recommended pub well worth the ride out.

Owner Simon Wade can once more be proud of what his staff are achieving and in such a short time.

Reviews are independent and all meals paid for by The Press

Fact file

The Punch Bowl Inn at Marton Cum Grafton

York YO51 9QY

T: 01423 322519

W:  https://www.facebook.com/ThePunchBowlMarton/?locale=en_GB

Verdict:

Food: Tasty and classy gastropub fayre, with many favourites

Ambience: Rustic charm and elegance

Service: Warm and helpful, with nothing too much trouble

Value: Not the cheapest but still good for the quality of the food and venue

NEW YORK (AP) — The World Cup, a 48-team, 104-match behemoth kicking off next week across 16 cities in the United States, Mexico and Canada, presents an unprecedented security challenge, with more countries, games and a larger footprint than ever before.

It also comes against the backdrop of the U.S. and Israel’s war with Iran, mounting political violence in President Donald Trump’s orbit and growing fears of artificial intelligence-fueled disruptions, creating a complex threat environment for authorities.

Overseeing the sprawling security apparatus is a legion of federal agencies, state and local police departments and private entities. Their responsibilities range from securing stadiums and fan zones to escorting teams and protecting dignitaries.

Their tools include hunter drones that can shoot nets over objects in restricted airspace, bag-inspecting robot dogs, giant X-ray trucks and thousands of AI-powered cameras trained on public spaces soon to be thronged by fans.

In the U.S., it’s “78 Super Bowls over 39 days,” said Andrew Giuliani, executive director of Trump’s World Cup task force, which is overseeing the multiagency effort.

“There’s never been a summer like this in American history from a security angle,” said Giuliani, son of former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani.

“We’re as prepared as we can be.”

An unprecedented security collaboration

The tournament has the same high-level federal security designation as the Super Bowl, just below a presidential inauguration or a national political convention, ensuring federal, state and local coordination. It coincides with other major events linked to the 250th anniversary of America’s founding.

So far, Giuliani said, there are no credible threats.

The Department of Homeland Security, focused on Trump’s immigration enforcement crackdown and hit by a funding lapse only recently resolved, estimates up 7 million people will visit the U.S. for the World Cup.

The U.S. Secret Service, under scrutiny after security breaches and attempts on Trump’s life, is in charge of protecting world leaders who show up to cheer on their countries. Trump has expressed interest in attending a match.

“I feel very comfortable where we’re at, and we feel like we have a zero-fail mission,” Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin told Congress this week, noting that the Secret Service was understaffed by about 860 agents. “But it’s going to be complicated.”

Officials have indicated they are confident they can keep Trump safe because they will be integrating his usual security into the robust World Cup plan on days he may watch a match.

The FBI has spent two years developing its security plan, incorporating lessons from other major events such as the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade and New Year’s Eve ball drop in New York and testing them at smaller ones, including last week’s Israel Day parade in the city.

“We prepare for the worst day,” FBI Special Agent in Charge Amit Kachhia-Patel in New York told The Associated Press. “And that’s how we go into any single event.”

To help cover security costs, the Federal Emergency Management Agency has distributed $625 million to the 11 U.S. host cities. An additional $250 million is being directed toward tracking and neutralizing suspect drones.

The disbursement of those funds was held up by the department’s funding delay, which the Republican administration has argued hindered security planning.

Others involved in the planning effort said the federal government could have played a more hands-on role even before the shutdown.

John Cohen, a former senior DHS official who has been briefing state leaders before the matches, said the government was largely absent from planning meetings last year and did not begin sharing threat intelligence with host regions until recently.

“With an event of this magnitude, one would expect the federal government would’ve played a more active role,” Cohen said. “It felt like a missed opportunity to showcase that collaboration.”

Evolving threats from drones and AI

In January, thousands of officials involved in World Cup security gathered for exercises simulating crowd surges, vehicle attacks and mass shootings.

A month later, the U.S. and Israel launched a war with Iran.

“The security picture fundamentally changed,” said Stefano Ritondale, chief intelligence officer at Artorias, a defense intelligence company not involved in the security preparations. “There’s a major difference in preparing for a lone wolf radical who rams his car into a public place and a terrorist who is bankrolled by a foreign country we’re at war with.”

Among the greatest concerns are drones.

Since the last World Cup in Qatar in 2022, drones have become a prominent weapon in conflicts including Russia’s war in Ukraine and Hamas’ attack on Israel on Oct. 7, 2023.

“If there is one threat that keeps me up at night, it is from drones,” said New York City Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch, whose department is partnering with the FBI on drone mitigation.

Drones are prohibited over stadiums and fan zones, and Kachhia-Patel said the FBI has a “full suite of options” to thwart incursions. They include agents monitoring the sky and a “variety of means” to safely down the devices, he said without elaborating.

Before this year’s World Cup, the growing sophistication of AI videos was a particular concern, with officials warning that state actors can harness the technology to sow misinformation and panic.

On match days, the FBI will activate joint operations centers in each host city, bringing together local, state and federal law enforcement agencies to monitor and investigate threats.

“If there’s a video that shows an explosion going off at a site, and it’s AI generated, we have people on the ground who can validate whether or not that’s true,” said Kachhia-Patel.

A scoring opportunity for private tech

Some AI companies have pitched themselves to police departments in host cities, promising to comb through data and surveillance on game days to prevent threats, including unruly fan behavior.

“We know sports fanaticism around here in terms of the NFL and baseball to some extent, but nothing like international soccer,” said Jake Becchina, a police spokesperson in Kansas City, Missouri, which is hosting six matches.

The department has contracted with Peregrine Technologies, which promises to sift through police data and publicly available information such as team practice locations and the country affiliation of popular bars, to get ahead of possible conflict.

In Dallas, a recent $120 million tech upgrade will give local police body cameras capable of real-time translations, helping law enforcement communicate with international visitors soon to descend on the region.

Several drone detection and mitigation companies are joining efforts to help federal agencies secure the skies.

One of those companies, Fortem, has claimed to have signed a multimillion-dollar contract with DHS before the World Cup for an unusual drone mitigation strategy: quadcopters that can shoot nets at encroaching drones to trap them in midair. A spokesperson for DHS declined to discuss the contract.

Just as the teams will aim to perform their best on the pitch, Giuliani said the security planning was a unique chance to “show off American exceptionalism.”

“If we do our job right,” Giuliani added, “nobody will be talking about security at the World Cup.”

____

Santana reported from Washington. Associated Press writer Alanna Durkin Richer in Washington contributed to this report.

An American college student, who went missing eight days ago during a vacation in Japan, has been found dead, his heartbroken family revealed Saturday.

James “Weston” Higginbotham, a 20-year-old Auburn University student from Alabama, disappeared May 29 while traveling in Japan with his parents and younger brother to celebrate his sibling’s high school graduation.

Weston, an experienced hiker, was last seen on surveillance footage around 8 p.m. walking alone in a mountainous area of Yamashina ward, near Kyoto, just before a storm moved in. Search teams had concentrated on the heavily forested area before calling off efforts, which were hampered by high winds and heavy rain.

His mother, Nancy Higginbotham, shared the devastating news in a Facebook post Saturday.

“Our family is heartbroken to share that Weston was found deceased by a volunteer search-and-rescue group in a mountainous area outside of Kyoto,” she wrote. “The grief we feel is impossible to put into words. We are forever grateful for the time we had with our sweet, precious Weston, but cannot begin to understand what life without him will be like.”

Nancy Higginbotham’s statement continued: “We are deeply grateful to the countless people across the United States, Japan, and around the world who shared Weston’s story, prayed for our family, offered encouragement, and helped in the search efforts. The outpouring of kindness and support has carried us through the darkest days of our lives. We shared our story here and in the media in the hope of finding Weston. We now ask for privacy as we begin to navigate this unimaginable loss.”

She concluded: “Thank you for your thoughts, prayers, and support. We will need them now more than ever. We will always love you, Weston.”

The mom had earlier told CBS News that she feared her son had been hurt and become stuck somewhere in the area.

On the evening of May 29, his parents saw through Life360, a GPS tracking app, that his phone was still moving around the city and sent him text messages, but he never responded.

“My fear is that he doesn’t have enough food because there is plenty of water, and that he’s lost. Those mountains, that forest goes for a very long time and … it’s extremely dense,” she said.

The initial search had reportedly taken place over three days and included 100 police officers, K9 dogs and helicopters but found no trace of the 20-year-old.

Nancy Higginbotham also told CBS News Friday that the pair had argued about the use of ChatGPT on the trip, which had become “a sore subject” with her son, an environmental engineering student.

“I was using a little bit too much ChatGPT. Japan is a country that I’ve had a hard time navigating,” Nancy Higginbotham told the outlet. “Weston is very anti-AI because, you know, he’s into sustainability engineering, and AI uses a lot of water and is depleting a lot of water resources.”

The family had planned to hire a private Japanese search-and-rescue team and previously said they would not leave Japan until Weston was found.

“We have complete confidence that we are going to find him,” Weston’s dad, Keith Higginbotham, earlier told CBS News.

A Rotherham primary school teacher admitted he falsely called in sick to attend a stag do in Lisbon

A primary school teacher “pulled a sickie” to jet off on a stag do in Portugal with his mates, then attempted to cover his tracks by tearing pages from his passport, a tribunal has found.

Joe Wilson told his headteacher at Listerdale Junior Academy in Rotherham, South Yorkshire, that he was too ill to attend work as he was “up all night being sick” on 18 May 2023, reports the Mirror.

The following day, the Year 6 teacher claimed he was unable to “keep any food or water down”, taking a second day off while promising to keep his managers informed.

Mr Wilson later admitted that both sick days were an elaborate cover story concocted to allow him to attend a friend’s stag do in Lisbon — a deception he attempted to bolster by ripping out the passport pages that revealed he had flown to the Portuguese capital.

A Teaching Regulation Agency (TRA) panel was told that Mr Wilson embarked on the clandestine trip between Thursday 18 May and Friday 19 May 2023. He set his plan in motion at around 5am on the first day, messaging his boss: “I’m not going to be in school today. I’ve been up all night being sick and have got a really bad headache.”

The following morning, he sent a further message reading: “I’m still no better so won’t be in school today. Can’t keep any food or water down. I’ll keep you updated.” The disciplinary panel was informed that Mr Wilson was exposed by an anonymous member of staff, who brought attention to photographs showing the teacher at an airport holding a pint of beer. One image, shared by another individual at 5.23am on the morning of Mr Wilson’s departure, appeared online with the caption: “Early start for… stag do, few beers with the Portugal gaffer”.

Initially, the teacher maintained the photographs were from an earlier journey, but subsequently confessed to the TRA in October 2025 that he “agreed to attend a stag do in Lisbon”.

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He stated that he “made a huge error of judgement but (felt) the situation at the time influenced (him) to make this poor decision” and that he “accepted full responsibility” for his conduct, including “falsifying a sickness”. In February, he emailed the agency acknowledging he “pulled a sickie to go on (his) mates stag do”. Mr Wilson also tore pages from his passport in an attempt to conceal that he had travelled abroad.

He informed the TRA he “made a huge mistake of taking out a page of (his) passport” following “an informal chat with (his) headteacher” as she “encouraged (him) to show something ‘to get them off my case’”.

He also admitted he was “ashamed” of his actions. An investigation report revealed Mr Wilson surrendered his passport to a school representative in June 2023, with photocopies showing pages 9, 10, 27 and 28 had been removed, the tribunal heard. The panel determined it was proven that Mr Wilson was away from school without legitimate justification, falsely claimed he was off sick when this wasn’t true, and tore out passport pages that would have contained stamps proving he was abroad on the dates concerned.

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In its judgement, the panel stated: “In falsely reporting his sickness absence and providing an altered document during an investigation, Mr Wilson was intentionally misleading the school and concealing the truth.

“The panel considered that Mr Wilson’s behaviour fell below the ethical standards expected of a teacher and was contrary to the manner in which the profession professes to serve the public.”

It also concluded his conduct demonstrated a lack of integrity, was dishonest, and that his actions may bring the profession into disrepute.

However, the panel ruled that imposing a prohibition order, which would have barred Mr Wilson from teaching, was disproportionate and that publishing the findings would suffice.