A teacher accused of indecent assault told a jury he had never planted a kiss on a 15-year-old schoolgirl's lips.

David Anderson, 42, a married father of three, said the teenager was flirtatious and over-friendly towards him and he admitted her attention was flattering.

But he insisted she had kissed him and he had not kissed her back.

At Lewes Crown Court, Anderson, of Rosemary Gardens, Burwash, near Heathfield, has denied a charge of indecently assaulting the girl by kissing her.

The jury retired yesterday to consider its verdict but was sent home after failing to reach a decision. The jury will continue to deliberate today.

The court heard the kiss happened in a small office in a classroom at the Sussex school at the end of the day's lessons.

Anderson said: "I didn't report the kiss because I didn't want to get her into trouble. "

The girl, who cannot be named for legal reasons, has accused the teacher of telling her he fancied her and kissing her on the lips.

She confided in another teacher when she thought the relationship had gone too far. Anderson was arrested in February and has not returned to work at the school since.

Anderson, who formerly worked as a manager in NHS and private hospitals before retraining and starting work as a teacher last September, told the jury within a few weeks of the start of term the girl's over-friendly attitude was noticed by colleagues and he was warned to be cautious. He denied finding the girl attractive or doing anything to encourage her attention.

He said: "I was just trying to be a good teacher. I felt I was supporting her through her work and problems outside school but it escalated from there."

He admitted exchanging a series of texts to her mobile phone and email messages to her home computer.

One message from him stated: "I am glad you can still taste me on your lips. I loved kissing you. Cannot wait till we meet again."

Earlier the girl denied becoming infatuated with the teacher.

She said: "There was not a relationship, only a friendship. I reported it because it was wrong. I decided right after he kissed me."