Parents put a lot of trust in teachers. Their beloved children spend the majority of the average week in class or under the care of school staff.

It is vital a bond of trust exists between the two parties. So when parents discover they have not been informed about a teacher's suspension, they are right to question why.

One parent whose son was taught by disgraced Clarendon School history teacher Matthew Birch did not even know about his suspension, let alone the abduction allegation made against him.

This secrecy is bound to raise suspicions over the school trying to sweep the problem under the carpet.

It is not about baring all the facts, Mr Birch was innocent until proven guilty and starting a witch hunt is clearly not the answer. But some kind of sensible disclosure would have put parents minds at rest.

What Matthew Birch did is inexcusable and he deserves any punishment he receives but perhaps the school's actions need to be examined when the court case is over.

Virgin Mobile staff deserve praise for helping track down a missing 12-year-old, who ran off with a US Marine, through her mobile phone. It goes to show that mobiles are not always bad for children's health.