Former head teacher charged with sexual offences against adults

Graham Hardy, 64, from the town, will appear before Birmingham Magistrates Court on March 17, where he will stand accused of six historical sexual assaults and one count of rape, all against adults.

It is alleged the seven offences happened between 2009 and 2016.

Mr Hardy spent more than 25 years working at Calthorpe Academy, a special school in Highgate, Birmingham. He retired at the end of 2015, having been described in Ofsted reports as a”national leader of education”.

Mr Hardy was arrested by police last April, and conditionally bailed.

In a statement at the time, the school said: “There is nothing to suggest that the allegations relates to any past or present pupil of Calthorpe Academy.”

The charges were announced this week by West Midlands Police.

The police said: “Following investigations it is not believed that any offences were committed against former pupils at the school.”