A former Radstock teacher who called special educational needs pupils "retards" and "c**ts" has been banned from the profession.

Thomas Marshall abused vulnerable students who "had no voice" while he worked at Fosse Way School, a disciplinary panel heard.

He has been banned from teaching in England and Wales by the Teaching Regulation Agency.

Mr Marshall worked as a post-16 teacher at the SEN school from 2014 until he was dismissed in January 2018, when police said he would face no criminal charges.

The TRA panel heard he would swear on a daily basis in front of the pupils and would call them "retards" and "s***-heads".

On one occasion Mr Marshall called a boy a "fat c**t" when he asked for more food.

When they went on a school trip, he said to a colleague, loud enough for the students to hear: "Let's get these c**ts off the bus."

The panel was told about an incident in the showers at a swimming pool, when Mr Marshall was seen putting soap on a pupil's private parts, a practice not approved of by the school and not part of the boy's care plan.

Challenged on this by a colleague, he said in front of the students: "Yes, but this retard really stinks – his c**k really f**king stinks and the smell is unbearable."

Mr Marshall did not attend the hearing but in writing denied swearing in front of his students.

Witnesses also described seeing him "stomp" on one pupil's foot and roughly move him in an inappropriate way.

Mr Marshall denied ever harming a student.

Panel chairman Peter Cooper said: "Mr Marshall's conduct can only be viewed in the most serious manner. He was physically and verbally abusive against pupils who had no voice and relied on their teacher to ensure their safety and be a voice for them.

"[His] behaviour amounted to both unacceptable conduct and conduct that may bring the profession into disrepute.

"The words that formed allegation were clearly inappropriate and offensive, even if they had not been directed at pupils. The fact the pupils may not have understood the language was not a relevant consideration.

"Mr Marshall has denied all of the allegations and, at times, sought to divert any blame away from himself. He has not demonstrated any remorse or insight into his conduct, nor has he expressed any desire in returning to teaching at any stage."

Mr Marshall was struck off the teaching register.

According to its website, Fosse Way School "caters for children aged three to 19 years who, for a variety of reasons, find it difficult to be successful within mainstream schools as full-time pupils".