A headteacher has been accused of reducing children to tears in a violent reign of terror at a nursery school.

Eirios Hall reportedly even mocked one pupil whose father died in a road accident and is alleged to have mocked, humiliated and violently manhandled pupils at Ardwyn Nursery and Infant School, Welshpool.

Panicked pupils as young as four would burst into tears whenever they learned the school head would be taking their class, it is claimed.

Hall faces being struck off the teaching register if an array of controversial allegations are proved against her.

But she dismissed critics' claims and insisted the school she led was happy, successful and held up as an example to follow.

Her alleged reign of terror was only stopped when a series of in-school whistleblowers reported her to the authorities. She now no longer teaches at the school.

A General Teaching Council for Wales professional panel, sitting in Cardiff, has heard she denies all 14 allegations against her.

They range from aggressively shouting at pupils to physical bullying and telling a six-year-old with a speech impediment to ''talk properly'', it was claimed.

The allegations, some of which are subdivided into further accusations, cover a period from September 2005 to 2009.

None of the pupils involved can be identified and all are referred to by a letter of the alphabet ranging from A to J.