THE HEAD of a Blackpool school has hit back at allegations of bullying at a court hearing this week.

Arnold School head teacher Bill Gillen, 59, dismissed claims made by the school's former head of sixth form Dr David Grimshaw, that he was a bully and had caused Dr Grimshaw to quit the school with stress after 26 years' service.

Mr Gillen, of Broadway, Blackpool, told Central London County Court: "I have raised my voice and spoken emphatically and forcefully to colleagues to emphasise a point, but I have not shouted in a rage or uncontrolled manner. I am certainly not a bully."

Chemistry teacher Dr Grimshaw, 55, of St Patrick's Road South, St Annes, is suing the Lytham Road school for around £250,000. He had told the court how he suffered headaches, panic attacks and aching limbs as a result of the head's bullying.

Mr Gillen, Arnold's head teacher since 1993, said: "Dr Grimshaw was a scholar, a thoroughly good teacher of chemistry and a good head of sixth form, worthy of respect.

"However, despite these virtues he found it difficult to adapt to changes I was making in the sixth form and at times I found him frustrating and stubborn to work with, but on the whole I though I got on reasonably well with him."

Mr Gillen also said he had "crossed swords" with some of the witnesses which he felt had "encouraged them to write in an exaggerated way" about him.

Proceeding