Soham schoolgirl 'had crush on Huntley'

Soham accused Ian Huntley was the focus of a schoolgirl crush weeks before he is alleged to have murdered Holly Wells and Jessica Chapman, the Old Bailey heard today.

A youngster got “too close” to the then caretaker at Soham Village College and had to be spoken to by the vice principal.

The court heard that Huntley’s predecessor had been sacked the year before following an “inappropriate relationship” with a 13-year-old girl.

As a result, all applicants for the vacant post, including Huntley, were grilled on what they would do if a girl at the school was attracted to them.

Huntley’s barrister Stephen Coward QC, cross examining the college’s vice principal Margaret Bryden, said: “Because of previous history, there were concerns.

“Therefore all applicants were asked tricky questions.”

He said Huntley had answered in an “exemplary fashion” and Mrs Bryden agreed.

Huntley said that should such a situation arise, he would report it to a senior member of staff.

Mr Coward said: “In actual fact, it happened, did it not? It happened in July.

“It was reported to you and dealt with by you.”

Mrs Bryden said: “It was not only reported to me but reported to the principal as well.

“I dealt with it with the girl in question.”

Mrs Bryden said that Huntley had “confided” in her about his father.

Cross-examining her, Maxine Carr’s barrister Michael Hubbard QC said: “He made some pretty shocking and outrageous allegations about his father, did he not?

“He made some pretty shocking allegations about what had happened to him in his early life.

“Did it ever occur to you that he lived in a world of his own fantasy?

“Did you ever think he was making things up?”

Mrs Bryden said: “There were times I thought he was exaggerating things but did not think he was making them up.”