THE headmistress of Sutton School had to stop a playground row between feuding parents on the first day of term, magistrates heard this week. Robert Wheatley and Jacqueline Brown were shouting outside the classrooms, and head teacher Gill Gilbert called a

THE headmistress of Sutton School had to stop a playground row between feuding parents on the first day of term, magistrates heard this week.

Robert Wheatley and Jacqueline Brown were shouting outside the classrooms, and head teacher Gill Gilbert called a halt to the incident.

Wheatley appeared before Ely magistrates on Thursday, when he was found guilty of using threatening or disorderly behaviour.

Wheatley, of St Andrew's Close, Sutton, had denied the allegation, but was convicted after a trial.

He was given a one-year conditional discharge and told to pay £100 costs.

Jacqueline Brown had already been bound over to keep the peace for six months in the sum of £100 for her part in the incident.

Prosecuting, Flynn Jennings said there had been "bad blood" between the parties, who used to be neighbours, and on September 6 last year the feud spilled out into the school yard, in the presence of children.

"We will say the behaviour of both these people is not the sort of conduct that should be shown in the school yard," he added.

Jacqueline Brown told the court she had shouted at Wheatley.

"I admit I raised my voice, sometimes a reaction comes out before you can even think," she said.

Headmistress Gill Gilbert said she had heard raised voices, including a male voice, that were loud enough to be heard over the voices of excited children.

She had later written letters to both Wheatley and Jacqueline Brown.

Giving evidence, Wheatley said Jacqueline Brown had called him "a woman beater" but he had raised his voice only to his partner Alex Case, trying to calm her down.

Ms Case, said Wheatley had got "quite cross" with her, when she made comments to Jacqueline Brown.