A Teacher who played strip poker with a group of schoolgirls was put on the sex offenders register yesterday.

Iain Davidson, 28, ended up naked during the game with three 14-year-old girls.

Two of the girls were down to their pants, while the third only removed her socks and shoes, Arbroath Sheriff Court heard.

The 28-year-old had previously taught at the Angus primary school attended by two of the girls, before he moved on to teach in Dundee.

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Years later he struck up a friendship with one of the girls through her older sister, who was part of his circle.

The teenager began to visit Davidson at his then home in 17 Church Street, Carnoustie, and later brought her friends.

Fiscal Brian Bell told the court that at this point nothing "sinister" was going on.

But on one of the visits Davidson suggested a game of strip poker. During the game, the teacher ended up naked.

He then hugged the girls which made them feel embarrassed and the game came to an end shortly after.

Mr Bell said the girls had not seen anything wrong with what had gone on and had not told their parents.

Police found out only after Davidson supplied the alcohol for a party at the house of one of the girls while her parents were out of town.

He bought the girls Bacardi Breezers, Smirnoff Ice and a bottle of vodka.

One of the teenagers drank so much that an ambulance took her to Ninewells Hospital in Dundee for treatment.

When police tried to find out where the under-age girls had got the alcohol from, they learned that Davidson had bought the drink. At the same time officers were told about the strip-poker game.

Davidson, of 75 MacDonald Smith Drive, Carnoustie, yesterday pleaded guilty to behaving indecently towards the girls at his then home in Church Street, between June 1 and November 9, 2002.

He had previously admitted buying alcohol on November 9, 2002, for the girls.

Davidson's fixed-term contract with Dundee City Council education department was immediately terminated when the allegations came to light. The General Teaching Council for Scotland was also informed.

A spokesman for the GTC said normal procedure in such cases was to hold a disciplinary hearing after receiving information from the Scottish Criminal Records Office. Davidson could be barred from working in all Scottish schools.

Defence agent Hamish Watt said his client had alcohol problems at the time of the offence and was unlikely to be continuing in teaching anyway.

The lawyer said the girls were not "particularly bothered" by what had happened and if it had not been for the drinking episode the card game would never have come to light.

He said a psychologist's report had revealed that Davidson had been unable to see the dangers of becoming involved with young girls.

"This is a character defect which he fully accepts," Mr Watt added.

Sheriff Norrie Stein deferred sentence for reports and put Davidson's name on the sex offenders register. He will decide how long the teacher's name will remain there when he sentences him on May 18.

The sheriff warned Davidson that he had pleaded guilty to serious charges and all sentences would be open to him.

Source: Claire Stewart, Press and Journal