Chloe Hadjimatheou

But Philippa says when she does finally manage to talk to Mr Tinch, he tells her he isn't concerned about Miss Bowen and Gareth. He says there's something else he wants to investigate. What did Mr Tinch tell you? He said, do you think he's on something? Mr Tinch advises Philippa to check whether Gareth's on drugs.

But Philippa says when she does finally manage to talk to Mr Tinch, he tells her he isn't concerned about Miss Bowen and Gareth. He says there's something else he wants to investigate. What did Mr Tinch tell you? He said, do you think he's on something? Mr Tinch advises Philippa to check whether Gareth's on drugs.

He's just been told a member of staff may be having sex with a child and his response is to bat it back and ask if that child is doing something illegal. But Philippa's desperate to understand what's happening to her son, so she latches on to this. Maybe Mr Tinch is right. Her son's hostile behaviour, the lies, staying out late, these could all be signs he's on drugs.

He's just been told a member of staff may be having sex with a child and his response is to bat it back and ask if that child is doing something illegal. But Philippa's desperate to understand what's happening to her son, so she latches on to this. Maybe Mr Tinch is right. Her son's hostile behaviour, the lies, staying out late, these could all be signs he's on drugs.

And she came straight away late on the Friday night. Dr Ferris has her medical bag with her and takes out a syringe.

And she came straight away late on the Friday night. Dr Ferris has her medical bag with her and takes out a syringe.

The medical note Dr Ferris took that night provides one of the only pieces of hard evidence I've seen from the time. It says, in a typical doctor's scrawl, school called mother thought Gareth might be having an affair with female teacher. Now, according to Philippa, it was her that called the school and the doctor got mixed up when she jotted it down in a hurry.

The medical note Dr Ferris took that night provides one of the only pieces of hard evidence I've seen from the time. It says, in a typical doctor's scrawl, school called mother thought Gareth might be having an affair with female teacher. Now, according to Philippa, it was her that called the school and the doctor got mixed up when she jotted it down in a hurry.

Either way, the crucial thing is, the note suggests the school knew about the allegations. I've tried to put myself in Philippa's shoes. I'd do anything to find out the truth. I'd tell myself I'd have followed my son after school to see what he was doing. But Philippa was a single mum with four kids. She didn't have the luxury of time to spare.

Either way, the crucial thing is, the note suggests the school knew about the allegations. I've tried to put myself in Philippa's shoes. I'd do anything to find out the truth. I'd tell myself I'd have followed my son after school to see what he was doing. But Philippa was a single mum with four kids. She didn't have the luxury of time to spare.

What about calling the police then? Philippa says back when she was breaking up with Gareth's dad and he was drinking lots, he'd hit her. When she ran to the police station to ask for help and told the officer at the front desk what happened... The police said, go home and be a good little wife. This is the late 80s, don't forget, before there are even laws against husbands raping their wives.

What about calling the police then? Philippa says back when she was breaking up with Gareth's dad and he was drinking lots, he'd hit her. When she ran to the police station to ask for help and told the officer at the front desk what happened... The police said, go home and be a good little wife. This is the late 80s, don't forget, before there are even laws against husbands raping their wives.

It was still illegal to have sex with children under the age of 16, though. But Philippa has no faith in the police. And anyway, what would she tell them? She has no hard evidence and Gareth's denying everything. So she clings to the hope that maybe, just maybe, she's worrying about nothing. Maybe there's nothing more to it than flirting and playground rumours.

It was still illegal to have sex with children under the age of 16, though. But Philippa has no faith in the police. And anyway, what would she tell them? She has no hard evidence and Gareth's denying everything. So she clings to the hope that maybe, just maybe, she's worrying about nothing. Maybe there's nothing more to it than flirting and playground rumours.

What I'm trying to get my head around at this stage is what were senior staff at the school thinking? Sure, safeguarding back then wasn't what it is today. Child abuse was a fairly new idea. It had only become an official term a few years before and mainly referred to physical and psychological abuse and neglect.

What I'm trying to get my head around at this stage is what were senior staff at the school thinking? Sure, safeguarding back then wasn't what it is today. Child abuse was a fairly new idea. It had only become an official term a few years before and mainly referred to physical and psychological abuse and neglect.

It wouldn't be until July that year, 1988, when the first guidance would be published for how schools, local authorities and other public institutions should be working together to protect children from abuse. So the school might not have had specific guidance to follow in cases like this. But we're talking about something clearly illegal here.

It wouldn't be until July that year, 1988, when the first guidance would be published for how schools, local authorities and other public institutions should be working together to protect children from abuse. So the school might not have had specific guidance to follow in cases like this. But we're talking about something clearly illegal here.

A member of staff hired by the school to educate and protect students having sex with somebody under the age of consent, a child. And the school would have been obliged to report a crime. Is it possible that even with Philippa's phone calls, they didn't credit the rumours? No way, says Gavin, who was in Gareth's class at the time.

A member of staff hired by the school to educate and protect students having sex with somebody under the age of consent, a child. And the school would have been obliged to report a crime. Is it possible that even with Philippa's phone calls, they didn't credit the rumours? No way, says Gavin, who was in Gareth's class at the time.