A teacher has been struck off after admitting having a lesbian affair with a pupil at a Roman Catholic school.

Judith Evans, a PE teacher at St Joseph's Roman Catholic High School in Newport, South Wales admitted having a sexual relationship with a female pupil, known as 'Pupil B', while she was still teaching at the school. The 58-year-old, who taught at the school for 33 years, was dismissed in 2009 after the affair came to light.

The affair dated back to 1982 - six years after Evans, who did not attend the hearing, started working at the mixed specialist sports college.

Presenting officer Lousha Bryl said: "[Evans] admitted having a sexual relationship with one female pupil while she was still at school.

"She said the pupil pestered her and then something happened - she explained it was a moment of stupidity."

The General Teaching Council for Wales hearing were read a statement from Evans, who now lives in Spain, which said: "Passion is not something you can control sometimes."

Although Evans admitted having the relationship, the hockey teacher maintains she did not abuse her position of trust and denies behaving inappropriately.

According to Evans, the relationship began after Pupil B had finished her A-levels. The panel heard the two had three sexual encounters while the pupil was still at the school.

Another allegation that Evans had a sexual relationship with a second female pupil while the student was still at St Joseph's was found to be not proven by the GTC. Evans admitted to a three-year-long relationship with the girl but insisted it began after the pupil had left school.

The relationship continued for two years in Wales, and then for another year when the pupil moved to London, but apparently "fizzled out" when Evans and the pupil started other relationships.

The disciplinary hearing, held at the Parc Hotel, Cardiff, was to decide whether Evans compromised her position of trust and authority through her alleged relationships with the two six-formers.

She has now been struck off indefinitely after being found guilty of abusing her position of trust with Pupil B.