Body of retired teacher found after he was arrested for sexually assaulting former pupils

The body of a retired art teacher has been found in a reservoir after he was arrested for sexually assaulting two former pupils in the 1980s.

Clive Hally had been arrested on suspicion of abusing young boys at the Brynteg Comprehensive School in South Wales.

The 67-year-old was questioned and bailed, but police have now confirmed that a body was found in a reservoir near Maesteg on May 18, just before a decision was made on whether or not to charge him over the historic claims.

Police say there are no suspicious circumstances and an inquest will be held in November.

His alleged victims, now both middle aged men, came forward to say Hally abused them when they were teenagers.

Hally taught art at Brynteg Comprehensive School in Bridgend for 36 years, from 1975 until 2011.

One of his victims, named only as Mike, 48, said he was abused as a 15-year-old.

He said: ‘He’d take me by the hand we’d go into the storeroom and it would be maybe 5 or 5:30, something like that, and I’d end up getting undressed.

In a statement the school (pictured above) has now said that it will be working with the local council to address the allegations 

‘Lots of awful things would happen. I didn’t want to touch him.’

Another victim, David, 50, said he was abused in an art store room.

He said: ‘People must have known that things were going on because we were interrupted and I know I’m not the only person.

Hally (pictured above) is alleged to have used the art store room to abuse boys

‘I’ve learned that some staff did have concerns about the way that he conducted himself, to the point where they knew he would be one-to-one with boys in his art room and he’d lock the door.

‘The bottom line is the man was a paedophile. It’s unbelievable really, when you think about it. That word should be associated with that man, as that’s what he was.

‘There are more kids out there who’ve been abused, that’s a definite, an absolute definite.

‘Paedophiles don’t stop abusing children, so for years in that school there was an active paedophile, and people should know.’

Hally had lived in a family council house all his life and was known to have looked after his mother until her death.

A former pupil at the school previously told the BBC that Hally had been an important mentor for boys at the school and helped ‘nurture their talent and expanded their horizons’.

Wales Today presenter Rebecca John said: ‘Certain boys in particular were always welcome in the art room, where they could drink tea and listen to cool music on the cassette player.

‘A ‘cult of Clive’ developed around him: There was an unwritten art room manifesto, where he imposed his musical tastes and political leanings on the art room boys. And they were always boys.’

In a statement, Brynteg School said: ‘We value and promote the safety and wellbeing of all our pupils and take these historical allegations very seriously. We will be working alongside partners such as Bridgend County Borough Council to look into the allegations independently.’

This is while the council said it supports schools and has effective safeguarding procedures in place, which are following in the event that allegations are received.

‘While the council does not have any record on file of these historical allegations having been raised with us as a local authority, we will be looking into them independently in conjunction with all relevant partners.’

South Wales Police said the two victims had been offered support by specially trained officers.

A spokesman said: ‘South Wales Police takes all reports of sexual assault seriously and urges victims to come forward to report it, regardless of when it happened, safe in the knowledge that they will be treated with respect and dignity and that their allegation will be fully investigated.’