A TEACHER suspended over allegations of sexual abuse on a trip to Ireland has returned to the classroom after being cleared of any wrongdoing, it emerged last night.

Bob Winslow, 55, was suspended from a senior post at St Ambrose High, Coatbridge, Lanarkshire, after police launched an investigation in April this year.

The allegations against the father-of-three centred on a youth club Easter trip to Ireland in April which he had helped to organise.

But the trip went disastrously wrong for the teacher after police were called in when a 13-year-old boy made a complaint about him during the stay in Tramore.

Strathclyde Police were called in by officers from the Irish police after the complaint.

An investigation was launched and a report was submitted to the procurator-fiscal.

But the papers have since been returned marked ''no proceedings'' and Mr Winslow, a teacher of 20 years, has returned to his duties at the high school.

But the incident has angered teaching unions who claim increasing numbers of professional careers are being wrecked by unfounded allegations.

Ken Wimbor, assistant secretary of Scotland's largest teaching union the EIS, called for tough action against parents and children who make up malicious claims.

He said: ''If an allegation has gone to the police and it is later proved to be unfounded then there is a question of whether the complainer should be investigated for wastng police time.''

But despite the unions' concerns, some politicians insisted the current system to deal with complaints against teachers was working.

The Scottish Conservative's education spokesman, Brian Monteith, said: ''The fact that this man has been cleared and is back at work shows that justice has been done.

''I would be very wary of taking tougher action against children or their parents who make allegations of abuse against teachers.

''It could send out the wrong message and prevent genuine cases coming forward.''