A top private school in Kent has been reported to the advertising watchdog by a rival headteacher over claims it is the best in the country.

The spat broke out between Gad’s Hill School in Higham and King’s School in Rochester.

It follows the publication of the latest Government GCSE league tables, which rated the Gravesham school as the top independent in the country.

David Craggs, headmaster of Gad’s Hill, was delighted at the result and set about publicising it - placing a signboard outside the school gates and sending a letter to parents.

The move has angered Dr Ian Walker however, headmaster of nearby King’s, who blasted the league tables as "utterly preposterous" as they don’t recognise the International GCSEs that schools such as his offer.

He has reported the matter to the Advertising Standards Agency and is waiting for a response.