Ceredig William Evans, a long-serving geography teacher at Afon Taf high school in the village of Troedyrhiw, Merthyr Tydfil, was found guilty of unacceptable professional conduct by the General Teaching Council for Wales at a hearing earlier this month.

The council has issued a conditional registration order barring Mr Evans from accessing the internet while working as a teacher, except where software monitoring is in place to detect the use of “inappropriate” websites.

Mr Evans is also required to inform current or future employers of the order, which has been imposed indefinitely.

He resigned his post at Afon Taf last year, shortly after his internet use was uncovered during a routine information technology audit in September 2004, and before a disciplinary hearing could be convened.

The teaching council’s professional conduct committee heard that Mr Evans had viewed pornographic websites on school computer equipment during working hours. His actions were inappropriate, against the school’s internet use policy, and undermined the professional standards and integrity of the school and the local education authority, it ruled.

Mr Evans could also have exposed Afon Taf and the LEA to adverse andor embarrassing publicity.

A spokeswoman for Merthyr Tydfil council said that Mr Evans was suspended immediately after the IT audit last September.

“The matter was routinely referred to the area child protection committee where in consultation with the police it was determined that the matter should be investigated under the school’s disciplinary policy,” she added.

“Mr Evans resigned from his position with immediate effect prior to any disciplinary investigation. Merthyr Tydfil county borough council made the appropriate referrals to the General Teaching Council for Wales and the process has been ongoing with the GTCW since that time.”

“There have been no criminal proceedings taken by the council against Mr Evans since no criminal breach was committed,” she added.