Claire Bennett and John Forrester have now split after seven years

A teacher who quit his job to marry a pupil he taught has been "left by her" after having two children together.

John Forrester, who was head of music at a Scottish high school, caused a national scandal after starting a relationship with choir girl Claire Bennett. Forrester, who was 44 at the time, met the 16-year-old after she joined his class at Kincorth Academy in Aberdeen.

Forrester quit his £30,000-a-year job and Bennett ran away from home so they could be together, although the pair claim their relationship did not turn sexual until Bennett, now known as Mrs Forrester, reached 16.

The couple married in 2010 at Ferryhill Church, in Aberdeen, causing a children's charity to brand the wedding an "aberration".

Forrester's conduct led to Aberdeen City Council officers reporting him to the police, sparking an investigation which resulted in the teacher being charged under the Sexual Offences Act.

But the Crown Office decided it was not in the public interest to prosecute and so the charges against Forrester, who has two sons by his first wife, were dropped.

Forrester had previously been investigated in 2002 for an alleged relationship with a younger pupil, according to the Times Education Supplement.

After seven years together, Forrester has now moved out of the family home, with 24-year-old Bennett saying they were "not on good terms".

According to the Scottish Sun, Mrs Forrester was "fed up" and wanted to "break free" from the relationship.

Mrs Forrester's mother has publicly voiced her disapproval of the relationship, saying: "I don't care if my daughter and John are still together in 20 years' time, I have never accepted the relationship and never will."

Despite being struck off from the teaching register for life by the General Teaching Council for Scotland, Forrester is back at school. On Tuesday it emerged he is now on the Parent Teacher Council at a school in Aberdeenshire, and is responsible for appointing members of staff.

A source told The Scottish Sun: “He has a brass neck. The last time he was involved with a school, he betrayed everyone’s trust.

"He doesn’t think he’s doing anything wrong but some people are a bit uneasy about him having a position of power at the school.”

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