Mr Bolton was sacked in December 2002

Andrew Bolton, 36, was fired from Newcastle's Church High School over gossip that he was seeing sixth-former Shona Upton, then 17.

But the pair said their relationship began in August 2002, after she had left the school.

Mr Bolton won an employment tribunal and has been awarded �45,710.

A remedies hearing concluded he had been unfairly sacked in December 2002 and had not contributed to his own dismissal.

The judgment said: "We have decided that this is a substantial loss case on the basis that, unfortunately, mud sticks.

"We know that it regrettably remains a factor that employers can be reluctant to employ someone who is involved in a case of unfair dismissal, still more when there have been allegations raised, as they were in this case, of some impropriety with young people.

'Badly shaken

"We also take into account that, clearly, the claimant's confidence is very badly shaken and affected."

Mr Bolton said his relationship with Miss Upton only started after she had left the school and was waiting for her 'A' level results.

In February an employment tribunal in Newcastle ruled Mr Bolton was unfairly dismissed from his job.

The tribunal also found the school's disciplinary procedure, carried out by head Lesley Smith, was "most unsatisfactory".