A former teacher at a Wiltshire school has been jailed after he was convicted of raping a teenage girl.

Alun Pickford, of Bratton near Westbury, raped an 18-year-old female in the early 1990s while working as a junior teacher at Aldenham School in Hertfordshire.

He went on to teach at Dauntsey’s School, an independent boarding school in West Lavington.

Pickford pleaded not guilty to raping the girl but was convicted by a jury at St Albans Crown Court, before being sentenced to seven years behind bars on Friday, July 21.

The 54-year-old invited his victim, who he was in no kind of relationship with, to stay overnight at his one-bedroom flat on the Aldenham School estate and offered her his bed, claiming he would sleep on the sofa.

But during the night he entered the bedroom and got into bed with her.

The victim later told police she had been paralysed with fear and “shut down”, leaving her unable to react or call out.

The next morning, she was seen coming from the direction of Pickford’s flat by a witness, while another witness claimed the teacher had boasted about the attack.

While she confided in a friend about the incident, she did not take the matter further at the time.

In 2020, the victim, now in her 40s, reported the rape to police after years of “mental anguish”, sparking an investigation.

Pickford denied the assault during police interviews and claimed the girl never stayed in his flat.

But he could offer no explanation as to why witnesses would lie.

His role as a teacher entrusted with the safety and wellbeing of young people was listed as an aggravating feature of the sentence.

Investigating Detective Constable Sam Hunt said: “I would like to commend the victim for coming forward after all this time to report what happened to her. She has shown incredible strength and determination to see this investigation through.

“Pickford’s attack on her when she was barely an adult has stayed with her all her life. I hope his conviction brings her some closure and the opportunity to move on.”

He added police have worked with local authority and education partners to ensure children’s safety since the report was made.

A Dauntsey’s School spokesperson said: “A former member of staff has been jailed for seven years for the rape of an 18-year-old female three decades ago. 

“The offence took place in 1993 at a school in Hertfordshire. We will be making no further comment at this time.”