A TEACHER accused of punching pupils, sending them Facebook friend requests and saying in class model Kate Price has "some t*** on her" avoided being struck off.

Supply teacher Alexander McLean was also accused of telling a girl she was fat and describing her to another pupil as a "fat mess" and saying to an S4 pupil, "At least I'm not a virgin."

The maths and physics teacher was said to have told one pupil, who put her phone under her skirt, "I'm not afraid to go up there."

And, a General Teaching Council (GTC) Scotland hearing was told, he confiscated a mobile phone then said to the pupil, "If I put it down there, you won't get it back".

The accusations came from pupils at various South Lanarkshire schools - Cathkin High School, Cambuslang, and Larkhall Academy, Larkhall - during two time periods, from December 1, 2011 and January 31, 2012 then from August 13, 2012, and September 13, 2013.

Allegations also during Mr McLean's time at Stonelaw High School, in Rutherglen, from August 14, 2013 to September 6, 2013.

The teacher was also alleged to have said to a pupil: "I know this is a single period of maths - I bet you wish it was a double, but I have a wife."

He is also said to have allowed pupils to discuss a violent sexual practice in explicit terms and then said: "I wouldn't do it to my wife."

Mr McLean admitted punching pupils on the arm and touching their shoulders but denied all other allegations.

The GTC Scotland panel found some of the allegations to be proven but others to be not proven.

Panel members also noted that the teacher had continued to teach and to privately tutor during the past five years with no further incidents.

Mr McLean told the hearing he had learned from the experience and would not "put himself in similar positions again".

He claimed he thought the comments were light hearted and funny but now said he understood they could be misunderstood.

He is is also no longer on Facebook.

Mr McLean avoided a teaching ban but will now be the subject of a reprimand and a conditional registration order.

The order is the most serious sanction a fitness to teach panel can impose short of a ban and it will last until the end of June next year.