A FORMER public school teacher has told of his frustration that his unblemished career has been left in tatters after he was cleared of sexual activity with a student.

Russell Woolwright, 30, spoke out after he was found not guilty of allegations of making the teenager perform a sex act on him during an encounter in an alleyway.

The economics teacher at the prestigious Canford School near Wimborne was forced to resign from the job of five years in the wake of the allegations.

He had met up with the girl after she pestered him with string of lewd emails. He said he told the girl to stop contacting him and twice backed away when she tried to kiss him.

After the police later learned of the email exchange between the pair, the girl “embellished” her version of events and claimed she carried out the sex act after he dropped his trousers in front of her.

A jury today took 90 minutes to find him not guilty of two counts of causing or inciting sexual activity with a girl as an adult in a position of trust.

Afterwards Mr Woolwright said: "It's a huge relief. I now feel I can go out again without being judged and I can get on with my life, which I’m having to rebuild from scratch.

"This trial has not only affected me but also my friends and family.”

Mr Woolwright said he would like to get back into teaching again and said: "I don't want this allegation to ruin my job at Canford and also my teaching career because I love it."

After receiving emails from the complainant in which she and a friend urged him to meet them in town, using sexually suggestive phrases, the teacher said he was angry and shocked but decided to meet with the girl to tell her to stop.

He flatly denied the girl's version of events when they were put to him by prosecutor David Bartlett during the trial at Bournemouth Crown Court.

Mr Woolwright is now working for a company that manufactures audio devices.