Twenty-seven-year-old Priscilla Davo has been removed from her post as art and Spanish teacher at Danesfield Church of England School in Somerset following the allegations.

Major UK newspapers The Daily Telegraph, The Daily Mail and the Guardian all reported how Davos decided to tape the mouths of the ten-year-olds because they were laughing and joking in class.

Some of the pupils’ parents told the UK press their children were very “upset” after what had happened and that their lips bled when they removed the tape.

Avon and Somerset police have not yet announced whether they will investigate the allegations or leave it to the education authorities.

“Had the parents not leaked the story to the press disciplinary procedures would probably have followed a more natural course,” Paco García Cruz, education head at Spain’s largest trade union told The Local.

“There’s obviously a big difference between taping children’s mouths as part of a lesson on freedom of speech and doing it in a repressive way.

“It’s up to the UK authorities to decide whether the teacher’s actions breached school regulations.”

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