A science teacher has been banned from the classroom for life after he exchanged “numerous” naked pictures and lewd messages with a teenage student who he plotted to meet for sex.

Anthony Canavan, who had taught at various schools over 20 years, was cautioned by police for possessing an indecent photograph or pseudo-photograph of a child.

A Teaching Regulation Agency (TRA) panel said that Mr Canavan was arrested in June 2016 after police found six indecent images of a child on his phone.

Mr Canavan was later cautioned by police for possessing the images between 1 June 2015 and 1 June 2016.

The three-person TRA panel ruled that his actions were sexually motivated.

Mr Canavan, who had taught for six years at Manchester Communication Academy, in Manchester, admitted to the panel “unacceptable professional conduct and conduct that may bring the profession into disrepute”.

The panel’s report said police had found “numerous messages and photographs” sent between the science teacher and the student, only referred to as Pupil A.

‘Full-frontal nude photos’

These included full-frontal nude photos of her and naked shots of Mr Canavan from the waist down.

Police said the messages between the pair, who were friends on Facebook, were “nearly always dirty talk”.

One of the teacher’s message’s to her read: “I know that you’re 17, I can’t do anything yet. I will wait until you’re 18. Take you out for a drink and get a hotel.”

Another read: “Will you have sex with me?”

Following his police caution on 2 August 2016, the science teacher resigned from the Manchester school at the end of the same month.

Mr Canavan first met Pupil A when he taught her science when she was in Year 7 at the academy.

In a letter to the panel, Mr Canavan wrote that he regretted what had happened and that his actions were “foolish, irresponsible and unprofessional”.

However, the panel said overall his apology “showed little remorse for his actions and was attempting to make excuses for his behaviour”.

Mr Canavan also included a character reference in his submission to the panel which maintained that he is “professional and sets very high standards for himself and hundreds of his students”.

But the panel said this statement “carried little weight” because it was unsigned.

The panel concluded that Mr Canavan’s actions breached Teachers’ Standards and amounted to unacceptable professional misconduct.

The report said: “The panel is satisfied that the conduct of Mr Canavan fell significantly short of the standards expected of the profession.”

It recommended that Mr Canavan be given a prohibition order from teaching without a review after two years - meaning he is barred from the profession for life.

This was accepted by Alan Meyrick on behalf of the education secretary. He said: “In this case, there are three factors that in my view mean that a prohibition with no review period is necessary to maintain public confidence in the profession. These elements are the caution for possession of an indecent image of a child, the sexual misconduct and the lack of either insight or remorse.”

Mr Canavan has the right of appeal to the High Court within 28 days.