A TEACHING union has blasted a report which followed the conviction of a 12-year-old boy for raping a teacher.

The report by Gateshead Area Child Protection Committee (ACPC), released yesterday, recognised the boy was a real threat to "young and vulnerable" children, but did not see any danger in putting him in a one-to-one session with the teacher.

Union chiefs yesterday said more should have been done to prevent the incident in County Durham last November.

NASUWT teaching union leader Mick Lyons said: "If it had been flagged up he was a possible sexual predator towards children, why was it not flagged up there was a possibility he could be to adults?"

The boy, now aged 13, was sentenced at Teesside Crown Court in March, when he was ordered to be detained indefinitely.

The boy, who lived in Darlington and can not be named, held the teacher down while he raped her and afterwards stole her car.

Following the conviction, officials at ACPC called in Newcastle-based barrister Ian Kennerley to conduct an independent review.

In his report, he said the child was "identified as a high risk of perpetrating sexually abusive behaviour against other children, particularly young and vulnerable children".

But the report also said that neither a psychological assessment or his previous conduct "indicated that adult women were at risk from him".

The conclusion has been criticised by Mr Lyons.

He said: "Yes, there had been no evidence of it in the past, but there was evidence pointing in that direction. I would have thought a caring employer would have made staff aware of that.

"I am just wondering if the risk assessment should be ongoing. It's not just a one-off, it's a living document. I also wonder whether if there was adequate communication between the local authorities."