A BASINGSTOKE headteacher has been found not guilty of sexually touching a teenage boy.

The jury at Winchester Crown Court took just 55 minutes to return their verdict this morning, finding Andrew Howard not guilty of two counts of sexual activity with a child under the age of 16.

The 46-year-old, of Mulberry Way, Chineham, who is headteacher at Velmead Junior School, in Fleet, has taught at various Basingstoke schools, including St John’s Primary School, in Cranbourne, where he was headteacher.

The trial heard that Mr Howard knew the teenager who had accused him of the sexual activity, but did not teach him.

He had told the court that he believed the teenager had made the allegations to “humiliate and punish.”