Senior teacher admits misconduct

The weapons cache was discovered during a police raid

A former Lancashire acting deputy headteacher who was jailed for hoarding illegal weapons, has admitted a charge of professional misconduct.

Thomas Hosty, 55, who formerly taught at Harwood Park School, Heywood, Greater Manchester, appeared in front of the General Teaching Council (GTC) in Birmingham on Thursday.

The committee heard that Hosty was jailed for a year for possessing nine handguns, a CS gas canister, a stun gun and several rounds of ammunition at his home in Shaw, Oldham, Greater Manchester.

The father-of-three served three-and-a-half months in prison following his court case last year.

The hearing was told the weaponry was discovered during a police raid at Mr Hosty's home in November 2001 and he was arrested.

Officers found an arsenal including a loaded Smith and Wesson .38 revolver under the floorboards in the toilet and a Colt. 45 hidden in a central-heating duct.

I was wrong to let my keen interest in collecting firearms lead me to disobey the law Mr Hosty

Many of the guns had been modified and some had had their serial numbers erased.

Mr Hosty, a teacher for 31 years, admitted the criminal offences and agreed that his behaviour constituted unacceptable professional misconduct.

Bradley Albuery, from the GTC, read from a transcript of the criminal hearing at Derby Crown Court which said that Mr Hosty had described himself as "an obsessive collector".

Mr Hosty, who now works at a private adult college in Rochdale, Greater Manchester, told the committee he had learnt his lesson and regretted what he had done.

Family unaware

He said he had been interested in firearms since he was a boy and was a member of a gun club.

He told the panel he had owned handguns before they were banned by legislation following the Dunblane massacre.

Mr Hosty said: "I never brought firearms to school.

"I felt the guns would be safe with me. I was wrong to let my keen interest in collecting firearms lead me to disobey the law."

Neither his three adult sons nor his wife had known about the collection, he added.

The committee adjourned the hearing to decide what sanction to impose on Mr Hosty.