Michael Taylor was cleared by Leicester Crown Court in May and has been suspended on full pay since June 2006, after taking over as head of one of the city’s largest secondary schools, City of Leicester College. But, with only one week to go before the start of term, he has still not been reinstated.

The case against him was halted by Judge Peter Morrell, who said the evidence given by the complainant now in her mid 20s was not worthy of belief. He also said insufficient evidence had been presented by the prosecution. Mr Taylor had pleaded not guilty on eight counts of indecent assault on a girl under 16, plus two charges of gross indecency. The charges related to the time he was head of science at Soar Valley College in Leicester in the 1990s.

But the married father-of-two, from Cotgrave in Nottinghamshire, told the court he had had a short affair with the girl after she left school and was over the age of consent.

A city council spokeswoman said Anne Gregory, acting head at City of Leicester College, would continue in that role “as long as necessary”. The governors would not be consulted until a review had been completed, she said.