Great Barr headteacher banned for theft at school

A headteacher who raided funds set aside for pupils and used it to buy costumes for her stepdaughter's hen party, has been banned from the classroom for life.

Ann Regan bought pirate-themed fancy dress items with some of the cash taken from Hamstead Infants School, Great Barr, between July 2009 and June 2010.

She resigned shortly after her suspension in July 2010 and later received a 10-month prison sentence, suspended for two years.

A Teaching Agency disciplinary panel has now ruled her conduct was so serious she should never be allowed to return to the classroom.

It had considered a five-year ban but decided to impose the indefinite prohibition order for her "serious dishonesty".

As part of her role as headteacher, Regan, from Sutton Coldfield, was allowed to order items. She used internet shopping sites to put goods into an online basket then print off an image of the screen as proof she had paid for the items.

But instead she cancelled the order then claimed the cash. She received 13 reimbursement payments from the school budget. The 45-year-old was caught when the school's secretary overheard her saying that she wanted to buy outfits for her daughter's hen night.