A Welsh Premier League footballer turned teaching assistant who called an autistic pupil a 'round-faced c***' has avoided being struck off the register.
Chris Hartland, 31, was suspended from his role at Greenfield Special School, in Merthyr Tydfil, South Wales, after allegations emerged of him using the c-word against a pupil in February 2020.
During a tribunal this week, the semi-professional footballer, who has played for Port Talbot and Prestatyn, claimed he was talking about his stomach and was misheard when he used the 'horrific phrase'.
He claimed he had said: 'I hope football is on Saturday, I need to get rid of this round gut.