The former head teacher of exclusive Clifton College today said he would be ”astonished” if Jo Yeates’ landlord Chris Jefferies had anything to do with her murder.
Stuart Andrews, 78, took up the role of headmaster at the £30,000-a-year school in 1975 and retired in 1990.
Mr Jefferies taught English to boys at School House, the oldest house in the exclusive school for more than 30 years.
Mr Andrews, of Wells, Somerset, said: ”He was a bachelor school master, slightly eccentric with ungovernable hair which the pupils used to have a laugh about.
”He was an utterly upright, multi-talented teacher. I cannot imagine he would be involved in this.
”He lived in a property on campus. I would be absolutely astonished if he was involved.”
Mr Andrews added that allegations of misconduct against a teacher at Clifton College in the late 1980s did not involve Mr Jefferies and the accusations were later dropped.