A Staines school has suffered dire consequences after its head of sports drove through a red light, a court heard.

Darren Smith, who was banned from driving for six months, has been unable to transport pupils at Magna Carta School to and from match fixtures, it was revealed at a Guildford Crown Court on Thursday.

Magna Carta's headteacher Timothy Smith told the court: "The effect on the school has been quite catastrophic. We've had to cancel a number of quite important sporting dates."

Smith, of Croysdale Avenue, Sunbury, who is head of physical education, was appealing against the length of the ban imposed by magistrates in June.

He pleaded with Judge Christopher Critchlow to reduce the period of disqualification to 10 weeks to enable him to start driving again in time for the start of the new school term on September 4.

Mr Smith said the school had recognised status in the field of sporting achievement - and his head of physical education was recognised by the schools standards watchdog Ofsted as an outstanding sports teacher.

"But without his driving licence, I'm not sure he can adequately perform his duties. And we, as a school, have been unable to fulfill all our obligations," said the school head.

Prosecutor Ruby Selva said Smith had been deprived of his licence after driving through a red light in Laleham Road, Staines, making him liable for disqualification under the "totting up" procedure because he had three speeding offences on his record.

But Judge Critchlow refused to reduce the disqualification period as he said the sports teacher had failed to show that the ban had resulted in "exceptional hardship"- which was the crucial test.

He added that the Thorpe Road school had suffered nothing more than inconvenience and annoyance.