AN art teacher from Swansea jailed for drug smuggling has been banned from the classroom after claiming he was caught with only "small amounts". Edward Bollom, 32, was found with LSD, cannabis and mescaline as he travelled to Guernsey on holiday. Bollom, who spent lessons "lying in his chair listening to Bob Marley", was jailed for 18 months for importing Class A and B drugs. He told a disciplinary panel he should not be banned from the classroom because Guernsey's drug laws were too harsh.
He said: "I'm not here to argue the facts - I fully admit committing the offences. "I hope I can continue to inspire creativity in children and I am a dedicated honest man who made some wrong choices. The small amounts of the substances found in my car wouldn't have had me convicted in England and Wales. Guernsey has a very strict zero tolerance policy towards these things."
Bollom had taught art at La Mare de Carteret School in Guernsey but was not working there when he was caught with the drugs. He had moved back to Swansea but decided to visit friends on the island - 120 miles from mainland Britain. Bollom had taken a ferry from Poole in Dorset when he was stopped by Guernsey Border Agency staff. He claimed he had nothing to declare but a drug sniffing dog found a stash of substances in his car. Officers found cannabis hidden in a bag of coffee, Bollom also admitted hiding mescaline and LSD under the front seat of his vehicle.
