A FORMER head teacher of Maidstone Grammar School has died suddenly. Philip Pettit, who lived in his birthplace in Northamptonshire in his retirement, was 69. Mr Pettit was head of the school for 20 years from 1972 until 1992.

His widow, Mary, said: "My husband was loved for his integrity, his honesty and that he regarded staff and pupils as people." Retired deputy head at Maidstone Grammar, Tony Webb, said: "He was a man of great integrity and humanity. He always used to say that whatever changes the Government made, we must always remember that students come first, children don't change."

Before taking up his position in Maidstone he worked as a teacher in Northamptonshire, in Ecclesfield near Sheffield as well as in Nigeria. Mr Pettit wrote a book in his retirement on his birthplace, the forest village of Syresham.

His family was awaiting the results of an autopsy to determine the cause of his death.