Over a dozen former pupils of a school teacher accused of trying to murder a student turned up at a court yesterday to support him.

Peter Harvey (49) is accused of attacking 14-year-old Jack Waterhouse at All Saints' Roman Catholic School in Mansfield, Nottinghamshire, earlier this month.

Yesterday the science teacher sat in the dock at Nottingham Crown Court as lawyers organised dates for hearings and a possible trial.

Harvey, who had a grey moustache, wore a prison issue blue and white striped shirt and grey jogging bottoms. He sat listening to proceedings through a head-set.

In the public gallery many of his former pupils and students at the school had turned up to support him, although his family had stayed away.

David Lee (30), a family friend of Harvey's and once a student of his, said: “If he was a horrible man you wouldn't get former pupils travelling 20-odd miles to come and support him.”

Grace Myers (16) added: “He was a great teacher. Even when he told you off he would be nice about it.”