THE head of a special unit for problem pupils in Hampshire has been charged with assaulting one of the students, the Daily Echo can reveal.

Eve Ritchie-Fallon was suspended four months ago after an incident involving a 15-year-old boy at the Forest Education Centre in Cabot Drive, Dibden.

Ritchie-Fallon has now been charged with common assault and is due to appear before New Forest magistrates on Friday.

The centre, which currently has 48 pupils, provides educational opportunities for children aged 11 to 16 who have been referred from mainstream schools because of behavioural difficulties.

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Ritchie-Fallon, 56, of Long Close, Pennington, has been in charge of the facility for about five years. Hythe county councillor Brian Dash, chairman of the centre’s management board, described her as an “extremely successful” manager of the unit.

Commenting on the decision to charge her with assault he added: “This development is a very sad and surprising business. She’s done a very difficult job extremely well.”

An inspection carried out by the Office for Standards in Education (Ofsted) in 2007 described the centre as good with many outstanding features.

The inspectors’ report added: “The head of centre’s leadership and management are outstanding.

By establishing a good and united staff team she has skilfully and successfully guided the centre from a very low base some four years ago.

“It is now in a position where there is considerable success and where the centre has the support and confidence of a range of stakeholders.”

The centre’s “aims and values”

statement says pupils are encouraged to “form positive relationships with adults” and foster “socially acceptable behaviour conducive to learning”.

Ritchie-Fallon was suspended after an incident alleged to have occurred at the unit on November 21. Yesterday a police spokesman confirmed that she had been charged with assault but declined to reveal the nature of the allegation against her.

Two other members of staff are currently running the building and sharing her duties between them. However, her photograph still appears on the centre’s website, along with a message in which she outlines the role of the facility.

Yesterday, Richie-Fallon declined to make any comment at her home. The county council also refused to discuss the case.