A TEACHER will be allowed to continue in his career after accidentally showing a pornographic movie to pupils during a lesson in a school.

Port Talbot comprehensive school teacher James Cooney, aged 35, used his own personal computer to show an educational film - but a blue movie flashed up instead.

A disciplinary hearing in Cardiff was told the class of 11 and 12-year-old pupils saw "graphic sexual images" in the film.

Families of the shocked children said they only saw a few seconds of the film before Mr Cooney realised his mistake - and pulled the plug on his laptop.

Mr Cooney was found to have committed "unacceptable professional conduct" when he appeared before the General Teaching Council For Wales.

He avoided being struck off the teaching register but was given a formal reprimand over the blunder - and was told it would stay on his teaching record.

The hearing was told: "Whilst using a personal laptop computer to project a DVD film to show pupils, instead of the film being played, adult pornographic images appeared on the screen and were seen by pupils."

The teacher was using his own laptop when the DVD player in the classroom failed to work during the incident in February, 2008.

Mr Cooney was sent home as an investigation was launched at Sandfields Comprehensive.

He later resigned after talks with schools officials from Neath Port Talbot Council.

Police investigated the complaints but Mr Cooney, of Glanmor Road, Swansea, did not face prosecution after a decision he did not break the law.

The hearing of the Council's Professional Conduct Committee in Cardiff was held in private because of "matters of his personal circumstances."

Speaking at the time, families of the pupils, aged 11 and 12, said the experience had left the children upset.

"My grandson is very distressed by what he saw," said one grandparent, who did not want to be named.

"It's a traumatic experience for a youngster to go through."