A 30,000-NAME petition calling for anonymity for teachers facing allegations of abuse has been welcomed by a teacher's union in Warrington.

The petition, run by teachers' union NASUWT, was handed in to the House of Commons on Wednesday, June 9.

John Rimmer, Warrington union branch secretary, said: "Currently it's an absolute disgrace that teachers are named when allegations are made against them for physical and sexual abuse.

"Out of the 1,200 cases that do proceed to crown court, only about 17 have been proven."

The effects of spurious allegations on teachers' lives are dramatic, claim campaigners.

John Rimmer continued: "There are a lot of ramifications, and mud sticks. I've had members that have attempted to commit suicide and one member's wife left him and he has lost contact with his children because his name was made public."

MP Claire Curtis-Thomas handed the petition in after a private members debate on interviewing witnesses in sex abuse cases.

Mr Rimmer continued: "We do not have an issue that names are made public if it's proven, but where it's only an allegation teachers' interests should be protected.

"The person can make the allegation with immunity and teachers are very vulnerable to malicious, vexatious allegations."

The signatures were collected by NASUWT over the past six months.