A TEACHER at Johnstone High who was sacked over “inappropriate” behaviour at a school prom has been told he must receive psychological treatment if he wants to resume his career.

Richard Hutchison, 57, taught at the school for 34 years but was suspended and then dismissed after the prom incident saw him remove his trousers and kiss a pupil.

He claimed he “pecked” the boy on the cheek as part of a dare after getting drunk at the leavers’ event and sharing a hotel room with pupils in June 2015.

The General Teaching Council for Scotland (GTCS) has now ruled that Mr Hutchison is able to continue to teach.

However, it has placed restrictions on his registration for two years, which include continued psychological treatment.

Earlier this year, a GTCS hearing into Mr Hutchison’s conduct heard that he had intended to drive home from the prom at the Burnhouse Manor Hotel, in Beith, but instead accepted an invitation from male pupils to sleep on their floor.

A photograph emerged the next day, showing Mr Hutchison sitting on a chair in his pants.

Mr Hutchison was suspended after the image was uploaded to messaging service Snapchat.

At the hearing, Mr Hutchison admitted all of the charges against him but insisted he was not unfit to lead a classroom.

In its verdict, the GTCS stopped short of ending his career but ruled that his fitness to teach was impaired.

It strongly criticised Mr Hutchison over his drunken conduct but concluded there was a low risk of it ever happening again.

It said it would be in the public interest not to kick him out of the profession.

The GTCS panel noted that Mr Hutchison had been “a highly-skilled and popular teacher who had played a full part in the life of the school.”

The ruling stated: “It was satisfied that he had kept up to date since he had not been working as a teacher. It would be in the public interest to retain him in the profession, provided appropriate safeguards could be put in place. There were conditions that could usefully be imposed.”

Mr Hutchison was sacked by Renfrewshire Council following the incident, despite pupils setting up an online petition in a bid to have him reinstated.

A number of former pupils have used social media to show their support for the decision to allow him to resume his career.

One message, posted by LM Shields, said: “Mr Hutchison was an amazing teacher when I was at school and didn’t deserve such a witch-hunt.”