A TEACHER from Prestwich faces the sack after he was found guilty of making unwanted approaches to two schoolgirls.

Ian Hamilton (40), of Oldfield Road, appeared in Bury court on Tuesday to be sentenced on two separate charges of harassment.

In June last year, Hamilton, a teacher at Radcliffe Hall CE Primary, approached a 16-year-old girl outside her home in Whitefield and asked if she wanted a lift.

Although the girl refused, he had continued to follow her, magistrates were told.

In separate incidents between June and September, Hamilton had twice approached a 15-year-old girl on her way to school.

He spoke to her both times, and on a further occasion stopped his car alongside and stared at her.

Prosecuting, Marion Nolan asked for a restraining order to be granted against Hamilton going near to the 15-year-old's former school.

She added that both girls, who have now left school, had been clearly traumatised by events.

Defending solicitor Christina Harrison said that her client, who denied both charges at the initial trial, would be lodging an appeal against the conviction.

She added that he had already suffered a great deal as a result of the proceedings.

During a social services investigation, she said, Hamilton had been required to live apart from his wife and two children at an address in Moston, and in addition faced dismissal.

Magistrates declined to grant the restraining order on the grounds that it would be impractical.

Hamilton was sentenced to 120 hours of community service and ordered to pay £400 costs.

An order was also imposed for £100 compensation to be paid to each of the girls.

The defence appeal was formally lodged following proceedings.

A spokesman for Bury Council confirmed that a teacher had been suspended and that the matter was being investigated.

He said: "Our priority in such cases is to ensure the protection of children in our schools.

"This teacher was suspended immediately as a routine when these allegations surfaced.

"The end of criminal proceedings this week now allows us to carry out our own investigation, alongside the schools governors, into the circumstances surrounding this case and this teacher's conviction."