A teaching assistant has been sacked by a Bradford secondary school where he sexually abused four boys.

Darren Thornton, 31, of Alban Street, East Bowling, admitted eight charges of inciting a child to engage in sexual activity and three counts of engaging in sexual activity in the presence of a child at Challenge College in Manningham.

Yesterday, a spokesman for the school, now called Oasis Academy Lister Park, confirmed Thornton no longer worked there.

He said: “When our predecessor school, Challenge College, became aware of the allegations against Mr Thornton he was immediately suspended and all the information was handed to the police. The school had to wait while the police investigation continued and could not take further disciplinary action while the investigation was under way. When Challenge College became an Oasis Academy, the decision was made to dismiss Mr Thornton.” He is due to be sentenced at Bradford Crown Court on June 6.