A TEACHER said she was pushed continually to "the verge of tears" by bullying and bad management at a Sixth Form College, an industrial tribunal was told.

Biology teacher Janet Knights also claimed that college principal Roy Whittle once asked her: "What do we have to do to push you over the edge?"

Ms Knights appeared at the Manchester tribunal in support of former teacher Andrew Todd, from Ramsbottom, who is claiming constructive dismissal from the Smithills college.

Ms Knights, who quit her job last year, and Laura Hiley, who ran the social sciences department until 1999, appeared as witnesses for Mr Todd who has accused the senior management of "aggressive, vindictive and unreasonable behaviour".

The complaints centre on principal Roy Whittle and his deputy, Joan Leavy, who ran the college after a merger between Bolton North and Bolton South colleges in 1998.

Ms Knights told the tribunal that she was hampered in her attempts to manage the college's biology department because of bullying by Miss Leavy and Mr Whittle.

She said that in a conversation with Mr Whittle in June, 2000, after complaining of an increased workload, she was asked: "What do we have to do to push you over the edge?"

She also claimed that, after returning to work after stress-related illness in November, 2000, he told her: "I'm not looking to sack anyone, I only do that the year before a leap year."

Ms Knights told the tribunal that she was happy to take a cut in responsibility in order to leave the college in July, 2002.

Former college teacher Mrs Hiley told the tribunal she had problems taking maternity leave and claimed she was called "useless" by Miss Leavy.

Mrs Hiley said: "I had been elated with my pregnancy but I became increasingly miserable because of the difficulties I was having with her."

Mrs Hiley said Mr Whittle had been unsympathetic when she complained about Miss Leavy.

After returning to the college in January, 1999, Mrs Hiley said she was told by Mr Whittle that she spent too much time off work with illnesses. Mrs Hiley left the college in July, 1999.

Mr Todd, aged 53, claims that he was forced to quit his job as head of department at Bolton Sixth Form College after a 10-month spell during which he claims he was "undermined and ignored" before suffering a breakdown.

Mr Todd left the college in September, 1999, on the advice of doctors and felt he could never return.

Under cross examination from the college's legal team yesterday, Mr Todd, of Ramsbottom, said he started to experience difficulties with the pair after the merger in 1998.

In February 1999, Mr Todd said he was badly shaken by a confrontation with Miss Leavy when she criticised his management. He said: "It was so traumatic that I drove home trembling. She was unnecesarily agressive because I had challeneged her authority.

"I was being so badly treated by Miss Leavy that I was being made ill and I didn't feel that there was any prospect of getting a fair deal at the college."

The case is continuing.