Injured teacher catches MRSA twice

The headmaster of a state school has been struck down by the hospital superbug MRSA - weeks after suffering a serious spinal injury while playing rugby.

Paul Sutton, principal of Greig City Academy in Hornsey, is today in a serious condition at Stoke Mandeville Hospital.

The father of two young children has contracted the potentially fatal superbug twice since he was taken to hospital after playing rugby for Saracens veterans.

Mr Sutton was diagnosed with his first bout at Charing Cross Hospital, where he was taken after being injured in January.

He had sustained a crushed vertebra which punctured his spinal cord and he had to wait for test results before doctors confirmed there was no permanent damage.

But his recovery suffered a setback when doctors discovered he had picked up MRSA and his transfer to Stoke Mandeville's world famous spinal injuries unit was delayed while he recovered from the infection.

When Mr Sutton finally moved to the second hospital, it was found he had caught the superbug again.

Neither hospital was available to comment on how he caught MRSA.

A spokesman for Greig City Academy said: "We are not preparedto comment on a detailed medical matter. We can confirm that principal Paul Sutton is continuing to recover well from his spinal injury and we very much look forward to him returning."

Vice principal David Hearn will continue to stand in for Mr Sutton, whose absence is a serious blow to the school, which was struggling before he took over. Two years ago, an undercover investigation by the Evening Standard exposed the chaos and violence that gripped Greig. Mr Sutton was brought in last year as the third head since the academy opened.

This year, education watchdog Ofsted reported: "He is driving improvements with energy and a sense of urgency."

Truancy rates had fallen by two thirds and Greig was "improving rapidly".