Teachers jailed for sex offences

Two art teachers were jailed yesterday for sexual offences against male pupils at Erith comprehensive school in south-east London.

At Woolwich Crown Court, south London, Mervyn Douglas, 44, was sentenced to 21 months in prison and James Archer, 36, to nine months. The court heard that police arrested the two men after the discovery at Douglas's home by his cleaner of indecent photographs and a video. Archer, who gave evidence for the prosecution at the trial, is a former pupil of the school.