FORMER Stifford Clays Primary School headteacher Anthony Peltier, whose sudden departure from the school in the spring of 2018 was shrouded in mystery, will face up to allegations next week that he harassed several junior female school staff members by touching them inappropriately or making sexual comments to them.

It is the latest twist in the often highly publicised career of a man who, in 2002, received a Pride of Britain Award for showing 'outstanding bravery' in saving the life of a boy who was stabbed in a gang fight in London.

At the time he was serving as deputy headteacher at Mandeville Primary School in West London.

Anthony Peltier with pupils at his school after winning a Pride of Britain award.

Soon afterwards he became a head at Merlin Primary School in Downham, South East London and later joined Stifford Clays Primary on Whitmore Avenue, Grays. He was a director of the South West Essex Community Education Trust (SWECET), which runs Stifford Clays and other schools in Thurrock, from April 1 2015 and 13 December 2017.

He also served as a Special Constable with the Met Police for more than a decade from 2005, rising to the rank of an assistant chief officer.

It is his alleged misconduct at school that now brings him before a police force Standards of Professional Behaviour hearing in respect of discreditable conduct.

In his charge it says: "It is alleged that former Special Constable Anthony Peltier breached the Standards of Professional Behaviour in respect of discreditable conduct. The behaviour is alleged to amount to gross misconduct and as such if proven, would have justified his dismissal and entry onto the College of Policing Barred list."

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A misconduct hearing is set to take place on Friday, 2 August in south-east London. Details of the misconduct hearing can be found via this link.

No criminal charges ahve been made against Mr Peltier.

Mr Peltier has worked as Chief Executive of the education charity the Passion Project Foundation. And he was director of a short-lived community interest company called Innovate for Growth, whose social media followers included now prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer and broadcaster and former footballer Gary Neville.  

Following his departure from Stifford Clays, Mr Peltier's connections with Thurrock continued with an eight-month role as a director of the Dartford-based Learning Workz company, which has links with the borough as a project partner with Thurrock Council. He resigned his position in December 2023.

Currently he is a director of two companies, neither apparently connected to education. They are Greenhithe-based Retro Care Ltd which is involved in the maintenance and repair of motor vehicles, and Marylebone-based DMST Ltd which offers specialised design activities.

There was considerable mystery about Mr Peltier's departure from Stifford Clays Primary. He initially left on a 'leave of absence' in April 2018 and days later his permanent departure was confirmed by SWECET. It was reported he had taken early retirement and the Trust declined to respond to requests for a statement on the circumstances of Mr Peltier's departure.

His high-profile role in the local community, which saw him, staff and volunteers host Christmas Day dinners at the school for local old folk, won him many plaudits locally and many tributes followed on social media after his departure.

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His career in education and the police force did not go unnoticed in wider media and an article on the Havering Daily website, published in November 2021, described him as "one of life's true gentlemen" who grew up to be a public servant after being raised on the Kingsmeade Estate in Hackney, "one of the roughest out there".