A primary school teacher has been banned from the profession after being found guilty of grooming a 16-year-old with pizza parties and trips to London.

Anthony Bennett was working at Swan Valley Community School, a secondary in Swanscombe –which became Ebbsfleet Academy in 2013 – more than 20 years ago when he started building a relationship with a former pupil, referred to during a conduct hearing as Pupil B.

Mr Bennett most recently worked as an assistant head teacher at East Tilbury Primary School in Essex, despite concerns over inappropriate relationships first being flagged more than 20 years ago.

In a series of hearings from July to October, the Teacher Regulation Agency (TRA) panel – led by Stephen Chappell – heard how he was able to woo Pupil B while she was still in full-time education.

Mr Bennett, who started at Swan Valley in 2000, first came into contact with Pupil A and B as a tutor, alongside his roles as a PE and PSHE teacher within the school.

Treating her and her friend, Pupil A, to days out in London and meals at Pizza Hut, Mr Bennett took the virginity of Pupil B less than six months after she left school.

The relationship started in the September of the year she left and reached a sexual nature in January the following year, months after both pupils left Swan Valley, as the school had no sixth-form facilities.

The relationship lasted a few months until May that year, when it became apparent to Pupil B that Mr Bennett would fail to keep his promises of leaving his wife and move away with her.

Describing Mr Bennett as a “kind, caring and playful” person before they dated, Pupil B confessed to finding the hearing “very, very hard” and said she “loved him desperately”.

She added: “Anthony abused me mentally. He’d cleverly find ways to undermine my self-esteem, to make me feel ashamed and lonely.”

The panel heard how Mr Bennett made comments about Pupil B’s bum in a pair of trousers while Pupil B was still at school.

It was alleged he took a group of six girls from his Year 11 form group to Pizza Hut in Bluewater in the summer they left school, though the teacher claimed this happened in September.

A day out to London with pupils A and B during exam season also took place, with Mr Bennett apparently making Pupil B uncomfortable by putting his feet on her bum.

The panel also heard how Mr Bennett forced Pupil A to hide his feelings for Pupil B and that the nature of the relationship was first flagged up in the early 2000s by the victim's mum.

When investigations took place to try to establish whether or not Mr Bennett had done anything wrong at the time, Pupil B told the panel the tutor coached her on how to answer.

The break in the hearing dates was to allow for a comprehensive analysis of emails submitted for evidence, with Mr Bennett’s union funding the exploration to determine whether or not he sent them.

In emails sent to Pupils A and B, he would sign some off with “Love Tony”, and despite Mr Bennett’s insistence the emails were faked, the panel declared it was more likely than not he had been the author.

Overall, Mr Bennett faced five allegations including sending inappropriate messages to pupils, engaging in a romantic and/or sexual relationship with Pupil B, and demonstrating elements of building an inappropriate relationship.

He was also accused of failing to maintain standards of behaviour expected between himself and pupils and that his conduct was sexually motivated.

All five allegations were proved although his conduct towards Pupil A was deemed not to be sexually motivated.

Representing Mr Bennett was Andrew Faux, who had accused those giving evidence against the teacher of trying to feel important.

Mr Faux called Pupil B in the July hearing a “malicious person out to destroy” Mr Bennett.

Mr Bennett’s representative also asked the victim “does being sat there make you feel important?”

“The panel found that Mr Bennett’s actions were deliberate and there was no evidence that he was acting under duress.”

Mr Faux had pushed for a private hearing for Mr Bennett, citing issues with the teacher’s health and the impact it would have on his family, including his ex-wife.

In the panel’s recommendation to the Secretary of State, the three panellists said: “Mr Bennett did have a previously good history and the panel accepted that the incident appeared out of character, in light of his otherwise long and successful career in teaching.

“In her evidence, Individual C remarked that the impact of Mr Bennett’s conduct had been ‘massive’ and that Pupil B had been scarred by his conduct.

“Its impact had reached into other relationships and affected her education as she had withdrawn from further education at the time of this conduct at Mr Bennett’s behest.

“The panel found that Mr Bennett’s actions were deliberate and there was no evidence that he was acting under duress.”

The 42-year-old has been given an indefinite suspension from the industry and will not be able to apply for restoration.