A Birmingham deputy head, whose birth saved his parents from Stalin’s purges, is retiring after a career spanning 30 years.

George Andronov, pictured with an image of his parents, joined the independent King Edward’s School in Edgbaston more than three decades ago.

He was born on January 5, 1945, the son of a Russian soldier who had been captured by the Germans in 1942.

But, following the D-Day landings in 1944, the young soldier and his wife were shipped to Britain, where George was born.

After the war, thousands of Russian soldiers were forcibly repatriated to the Soviet Union. Many were branded traitors by Stalin and sent to their deaths.

However, because George was born in England, he became a British citizen and his family was allowed to stay.

“It’s a good story, because it shows what a good country this is,” said Mr Andronov. “The sadness for me is that my parents were immigrants, and knew nothing of the British education system.” AB.