Protest outside rape claim school

Some parents have signed a petition

Parents have protested at a Birmingham school after a teaching assistant was jailed and the chair of governors arrested over child sex offences.

They threatened to keep their children away from Ladypool Primary School.

Last week Mark Smith, 35, of Adams Hill, Bartley Green, was jailed for indecently assaulting a girl pupil.

Canon John Herve has been suspended from church duties after being arrested and bailed on suspicion of rape and gross indecency with a child.

Smith admitted grooming and three charges of indecent assault and was jailed for two-and-a-half-years at Birmingham Crown Court.

Canon Herve, who is also parish priest at St Agatha with St Barnabas in Sparkbrook, remains on police bail after being arrested earlier this month.

School ban

The board of governors at Ladypool School will meet this week to decide whether to remove him from his post.

But parents at the school feel not enough is being done to make sure their children are safe and they say they are being kept in the dark.

Without answers some say they are prepared to keep their children away from the school on Thursday.

The head teacher was unavailable for comment on Monday but Birmingham City Council said Canon Herve has been advised not to attend any schools while the police investigation is carried out.

Canon Herve was appointed Honorary Canon of Birmingham Cathedral in April last year.

The Archdeacon of Birmingham, the Venerable Hayward Osborne, said: "I must emphasise that the suspension is a neutral act and does not imply guilt."