AN inspirational secondary school teacher from Combe St Nicholas was last week branded the best in the West at a glittering ceremony.

Neville Coles, a former pupil of Chard's Holyrood Community School, received the Guardian award for teacher of the year in a secondary school at Bath's Assembly Rooms on Wednesday.

Mr Coles is deputy head at Priory Community School, in Weston-super-Mare, where colleagues hail his ability to get the best out of all students, regardless of ability.

He told the News: "It's nice to receive recognition and it's good for the school.

"The really nice part is that the kids nominated me.

"I think the main reason I was nominated is the work I have been doing with colleagues. We think it's really important to train the next generation of teachers."

Mr Coles, a keen sportsman who plays cricket for Chard, could now land a national teaching award at a televised ceremony at the London Palladium on October 21.