A former Oxfordshire headteacher accused of 24 counts of misconduct said even Mother Theresa would struggle to escape his predicament.

Alan Klee, former headteacher of Carterton College, yesterday admitted at a General Teaching Council hearing that errors were made in his management style, but denied the charge of unacceptable professional misconduct.

Mr Klee, of Shipton-under-Wychwood, told the panel he became detached from the school due to his mother's serious illness and subsequent death and the stress placed on the school by the Iraq conflict in 2003 as many parents were fighting in the war.

He is accused of bullying and intimidating eight members of staff and ignoring the governors and school policy.

Mr Klee said: "Looking back, I shouldn't have done what I did.

"A lot of things were borne out of personal difficulties and, looking at this file on me, Mother Theresa would have difficulties getting out of this one.

"All I ever wanted to do was provide education to children in my care and I find it amazing, these uncorroborated allegations. It's like a witch hunt."

In one instance, Mr Klee is alleged to have been verbally aggressive to a teacher during an argument in a corridor and intimidated staff in an end-of-term speech, claiming he would "sort them out in September", presenting officer Nick Lear told the hearing.

Mr Klee - now a headteacher in Kent - denies all allegations of unacceptable professional conduct.

Clive Rawlings, Mr Klee's representative, denied Mr Klee was unprofessional or a bully but said he was guilty of errors of judgement in handling the school governors and appointing management positions during a difficult time.

The GTC is expected to announce a decision in the New Year.

Read the previous story from the hearing and the many comments that have been made about it by clicking here