A DEPUTY headteacher who had a secret three-year affair with a teenage girl in Norfolk has also admitted sexually assaulting a 15-year-old Suffolk schoolgirl more than 20 years ago.

A DEPUTY headteacher who had a secret three-year affair with a teenage girl in Norfolk has also admitted sexually assaulting a 15-year-old Suffolk schoolgirl more than 20 years ago.

Married father-of-three Stephen Brenchley, 57, was suspended from his position as deputy head at Costessey High School, near Norwich, last December last when details of his misconduct were being investigated.

Brenchley taught at Ipswich's Copleston High School and Mildenhall Upper School before moving to Norfolk.

His affair with the teenage girl came to light when he sent her a letter asking her not to co-operate with police which was discovered by the girl's father, Norwich Crown Court heard yesterday.

Brenchley, of Water Lane, West Runton, admitted three charges of having sex with the girl while in a position of trust, another charge of having underage sex with the girl and another of abuse of trust by sexually touching the girl.

He also admitted indecently assaulting a 15-year-old girl in Suffolk in the 1980s.

He denied a further sex charge and a charge of perverting the course of justice by sending the Norfolk girl a letter telling her not to talk to police about evidence, including a bra and thong set and text messages.

Shelagh Davies, mitigating, said: “There was an ongoing relationship with the girl from the age of about 14 through until she was 17 or thereabouts.”

The case was adjourned for pre-sentence and psychiatric reports until July 7.

Brenchley had been at Costessey High School since 2001 and previously taught at Flegg High School, at Martham, near Yarmouth. He spent 15 years teaching at schools in Suffolk.

A spokesman for Suffolk County Council confirmed Brenchley worked at Copleston High School, in Ipswich, from September 1, 1990 to August 31, 1997.

Prior to this, he worked at Mildenhall Upper School.

Brenchley lives with his wife Debbie, to whom he has been married for 26 years. She teaches at Cromer High School where she is head of languages.

Parents whose children attend the school said after the hearing how they hoped that this would mean that Brenchley would never again be able to teach their children.

“To think he has taken my children on school trips. I would never have let them go if I knew about this,” said one.