A teacher allegedly abused young boys at his school, a court was told.

Peter Shotton was arrested after one victim told his parents he had been indecently assaulted.

The publicity led to two further alleged victims coming forward, a jury at Hove Crown Court was told yesterday.

Patricia Lees, prosecuting, said Shotton was head of discipline at Bewbush Community Primary School in Crawley.

He is alleged to have indecently assaulted or committed acts of gross indecency with three boys under the age of 13 between 1995 and 2005.

Miss Lees said the alleged offences came to light when the first victim's family was cooking dinner.

She said: "He said there was one teacher that he did not like and he gestured around his trousers.

"He was asked if the teacher had touched him and he said that Peter Shotton had put his hands in his trousers and touched him."

Miss Lees said Shotton was arrested in December 2005 and denied the allegations.

He was charged and court proceedings began, which received local publicity.

Miss Lees said: "It was seen by two people for whom it had particular significance.

"They came forward separately and independently to report the same thing had happened to them at the same school and at the hands of the same person."

The second boy alleged Shotton had indecently assaulted him and encouraged him to commit acts of gross indecency between 2000 and 2001.

A third pupil, now aged 19, alleged Shotton had committed similar acts with him in 1995 and 1996.

Shotton was arrested for a second time in May last year and faces 11 charges of sexually assaulting the three boys.

The first boy was seen by Sussex Police child protection officers and his interview was filmed and shown to the jury.

Some of his answers were vague but he said the alleged abuse started when he was called to Shotton's classroom on September 4, 2005.

He said he knew the date because he ticked the days off on a calender in his bedroom.

The boy, who cannot be named for legal reasons, said: "He stopped on November 25. I remember because it was a Friday.

He touched my privacy things under my clothes in his classroom about 25 times on different days."

The boy said he got embarrassed and ran out into the playground.

Shotton, 55, of The Twitten, Albourne, near Hurstpierpoint, denies the allegations.

The trial continues.