A COLLEGE construction lecturer accused of sexual harassment has described his comments as ‘banter’, a disciplinary hearing has heard.

Former builder Jeffrey McMail, 50, taught students at Newport’s Coleg Gwent Campus, but is alleged to have made comments which forced a young female teacher to eventually take voluntary redundancy

The defendant was not present for the Fitness to Practice committee hearing in Cardiff, but the enquiry heard how his behaviour towards other staff became ‘sexualised and unacceptable’.

He allegedly made sexually suggestive comments to a female member of staff, who has been referred to as colleague A to protect her identity.

Cadi Dewi, presenting officer, told the Education Workforce Council hearing, there was a 'culture of teasing' and 'banter' at their college - but his behaviour became 'unacceptable'.

Ms Dewi said: "There was a culture of language which may have been considered appropriate in another environment which may have become normalised to McMail and his colleagues.

"There was an entrenched and long-standing culture in the department where colleagues saw nothing wrong with their behaviour.

"Colleague A says while she was open to the behaviour for some time, the behaviour of McMail in particular escalated to an unacceptable level."

The allegations are said to have taken place at Coleg Gwent in Pontypool between January and August 2015.

The woman left the college 'to remove herself from the environment', before she submitted a formal complaint about her former colleague.

Stephen Llewellyn, head of school for services, said Mr McMail admitted engaging in 'banter' with the woman - but found it 'difficult' to give examples of the type of language he would use.

Mr Llewellyn said: "During our interviews he was quite flustered and seemed to have memory loss when questions were put to him.

"He was vague and used the word banter a lot.

"Other staff members admitted there was sexual comments in the staff room but no one could give us examples. It looked like there had been some collusion but there was no evidence that there actually was."

He said students had described McMail as 'playful' and a 'fun guy to be around'.

Former colleague Jeff Goodwin, 60, told the hearing how the construction lecturer was a 'bully' who was difficult to work with because of his 'toilet humour'.

Mr Goodwin, who worked as a plumbing technician at the college before retiring after a stroke in 2014, also said the lecturer would 'belittle' him in front of pupils.

He told the hearing: "I didn't enjoy his company. He used schoolboy humour and showed childish behaviour.

"Every time you tried to have a conversation with him he was always below the waist. He used toilet humour.

"There were a number of remarks about sex particularly when there were woman in the area.

"Colleague A asked me to set up an office for her in the stalls so she wouldn't have to sit by him in the staff room. But she never had it because he complained the space should only be for students."

The committee panel will decide today whether the allegations are true and if they constitute unacceptable professional conduct.

Proceeding.