Married RE teacher, 46, faces being struck off for 'dating a 17-year-old former pupil who is expecting his child' after they were spotted together in a pub by another teacher

Gavin Dunsmuir, 46

 A religious studies teacher living with a former pupil 26 years his junior is facing a disciplinary hearing.

Gavin Dunsmuir, 46, is at the centre of a probe by a teaching watchdog over claims that he “formed an inappropriate relationship” with Megan Reid, 20, while she was still at school.

A fitness to teach panel has heard evidence from fellow teachers that the couple’s body language when they were seen in public was “uncomfortable” to watch.

They were allegedly seen in a pub “looking like a couple”, the Daily Record reports.

Dunsmuir, who has split from his wife, was a mentor to Megan at Largs Academy, Ayrshire, Scotland from when she was 12.

It has now emerged that they are living together.

Dunsmuir’s wife Shona said yesterday that she was told by their young daughter: “Mummy, do you know that Daddy has a new girlfriend?”

 Megan Reid

 Shona said: “I believe the relationship did go further than Gavin being just a mentor as I was informed by one of his colleagues that they were spending a lot of time together during lunchtimes.

“Gavin denies being in an adult relationship with her at the time but I find this hard to believe.

“He went to stay at his mum’s and asked if he could see our daughter.

“I agreed as I did not suspect anything was going on with anyone at this time."

Gavin's ex-wife, Shona Dunsmuir

“Then my daughter asked me if I knew he had a new girlfriend. She said when I drove away after dropping her at her gran’s, the girl had been hiding in the bedroom upstairs.

“That evening, I called one of Gavin’s colleagues to tell them what my daughter had told me.

“They confirmed that they had suspected that they were having a relationship."

“I contacted the school as I then knew this was a serious matter and spoke with the head teacher. I also sent a letter to North Ayrshire council and did not receive any reply. He is currently not teaching as far as I know.

“According to Gavin, he was Megan’s mentor since she was in first year. My personal feelings do not come into this. This is simply the facts.”

A General Teaching Council for Scotland panel began a hearing on Tuesday to decide whether Dunsmuir’s fitness to teach is impaired.

He did not attend the hearing on Tuesday or Wednesday and did not request legal representation on his behalf.

The allegations before the panel state that the “inappropriate relationship” unfolded between March and August 2015.

Giving evidence to the hearing – at which Megan was referred to as Pupil A – Lynsey Muir, a PE teacher at Largs Academy, told the panel that she ran into Dunsmuir and a group of pupils at the Lounge pub in the town.

She said: “Gavin came into the pub with Pupil A and several other pupils. There were four or five in total.

“I was with a group of probationary teachers and I told them I had to leave. I felt really uncomfortable.

"Their body language was close, turning to each other. My blood was boiling from the Lounge. It was in the summer of 2015, so she would have been at the end of sixth year.

“She was a sensitive girl with a heart of gold. She lacked self-confidence.”

Muir added: “The way the school is it’s common for me to walk past RE (the religious education room).

“I recall quite often Pupil A would be in sitting with Gavin alone. On a daily basis. I asked Gavin about her and he told me he was a mentor to her.”

Also giving evidence at the hearing was Alan Leishman, a chemistry teacher who was close friends with Dunsmuir.

He said: “I felt Pupil A and Gavin developed a relationship. I recall saying to Gavin not to get too close.

"He said she had issues and he knew not to get too close.

"I asked Gavin if anything was going on and he said, ‘No.’”

Leishman also told the panel Dunsmuir’s wife had told him the teacher and pupil were having a relationship.

He added he was ‘speechless’ when Dunsmuir arrived at his home with Pupil A in his car.

He said: “I never had a pupil come to my home.

"Gavin said he’d tell me later why she was in the car, and he said that she was at his house as a surprise.

"I know his daughter liked her.”

North Ayrshire Council confirmed yesterday Dunsmuir is no longer working for them.

He is still registered as an RE teacher on the GTCS website.

The hearing adjourned on Wednesday.

Images from Megan’s Facebook page appeared to show her with Dunsmuir, arms around each other and facing away from the camera.

The photograph was removed yesterday after attempts were made to contact Megan and Dunsmuir over Facebook.