THE head of Bolton Sixth Form College gave evidence on Wednesday in a case in which he and his deputy have been accused of bullying a teacher from Ramsbottom who suffered a breakdown and quit.

Roy Whittle, the principal of the college, in Smithills, told an industrial tribunal that Andrew Todd was so confident of his own opinions that he interpreted any challenge as a personal insult.

Mr Todd is claiming constructive dismissal at an employment tribunal in Manchester.

Mr Whittle said he began to experience problems with Mr Todd, a history and politics teacher, in 1998 when Bolton North and Bolton South college merged to form the sixth form college.

At the tribunal at Alexandra House, Mr Whittle said: "Mr Todd found any challenge or change to his systems almost impossible to accept.

"He had a self-confidence in his ideas that verged on the arrogant and absurd.

"Mr Todd couldn't believe his ideas could be challenged on their own terms and assumed any challenge must have an ulterior motive."

Mr Whittle said that Mr Todd had been the North College assistant principal and found his "reduction of status difficult to accept" when he was made staff development and support manager following the merger.

He had declined to apply for a senior position.

Mr Todd, aged 53, is claiming that following the merger he was driven out of his job after being demoted, criticised for doing tasks that were in his draft job description, bullied by the principal and his deputy Joan Leavy and given too much work.

The principal dismissed Mr Todd's complaints that he had an excessive workload, saying he could draw on a pool of assistants for administrative support.

He said the member of staff who had taken over Mr Todd's role was managing without difficulty, even though that person had less time to do the work and was also a head of department.

The tribunal heard that up to 60 per cent of staff at North College had been against the merger, and it was claimed many had acted unprofessionally by being uncooperative and even altering timetables to suit themselves.

Miss Leavy also gave evidence. She said that a number of staff were attempting to undermine her position, with one departmental head telling her she was perceived as a "jumped up tart prone to temper tantrums".

She claimed Mr Todd offered "sympathy and support" to such staff.

Miss Leavy said she had had three disagreements with Mr Todd but denied ever snubbing him, bullying him or making rude facial expressions when he was talking.

She said when she discovered Mr Todd had been making notes about their conversations she found it 'bizarre', and was concerned that he was taking off-the-cuff comments literally.

When she found out he had made allegations against her, she considered taking out her own grievance procedure against him.

Mr Whittle stated that if he thought Miss Leavy's behaviour toward Mr Todd had been inappropriate, he would have taken disciplinary action against her.

Former college biology teacher Val Geary told the tribunal Miss Leavy had criticised her in front of a class and that she had been reduced to tears following a meeting with the deputy principal and Mr Whittle.

The case is continuing..