Fifteen teachers working at schools in Wolverhampton have criminal records for a range of offences including fraud and drink driving, it has been revealed today.

Council leaders today said they were “surprised” any teachers had been employed in the city with convictions, but that it was up to individual schools to make a judgement on recruits.

Figures released under the Freedom of Information Act reveal a total of 15 teachers employed by Wolverhampton Council have some kind of criminal conviction.

They include theft, assault, obtaining property by deception, failing to stop after an accident and possessing a controlled drug.

No offences against children are on the list of convictions.

Strict checks are carried out by the Criminal Record Bureau for all applicants, which reveal all convictions prior to the post being filled.

Councillor Gillian Fellows, cabinet member for schools, said: “I am surprised that any teachers with criminal convictions are employed in Wolverhampton schools. However, schools are responsible for employing their own staff, so it is a matter for individual headteachers and boards of governors.”

Headteacher at Wolverhampton Girls’ High School, Julie Lawton said the school does not employ anyone with a criminal conviction.

She added: “All I can say is that every single headteacher I know has very rigorous policies regarding the safeguarding of children.

“If the policies are followed correctly, as every school in the city does, then our children are not at risk. Every teacher is given an enhanced CRB check which would throw any convictions up. It would not be the case at all that a headteacher would not know about them.

“My own point of view is if the CRB check arose with one of these convictions in it, I would have to consider very carefully my own point of view and knowledge about how I feel about that.

“Each individual case has to be considered on an individual basis.”

Last month Charles McGregor, of Park Street, Stourbridge was sacked from his job as a maths teacher at Leasowes Community College in Halesowen after he was convicted at Wolverhampton Crown Court of beating up a reveller in the toilets of a pub.