It criticised two former headmasters Anthony Halford and Dr Steve Rogers, the chairman of the school governors Norman Hall MBE of Flamborough and the chief executive of East Riding of Yorkshire Council Nigel Pearson for allegedly failing to act to prevent child abuse at what it described as Britain's worst sex scandal school.

It referred to cases involving three members of staff and one former member of staff who had relationships with pupils during the past seven years.

Two received jail sentences, one a suspended sentence and the other a conditional discharge.

The News of The World called for both Mr Hall MBE and Mr Pearson to step down immediately and for a public inquiry into why the abuse was allowed to continue.

In a statement East Riding of Yorkshire Council said it "refutes entirely the allegations in Sunday's News of the World that it and its chief executive stood by and did nothing to stop child abuse involving staff and pupils at Headlands School".

It is confident it responded immediately upon allegations being reported to it of child protection issues at the school.

Coun Stephen Parnaby OBE, leader of the council, said: "The council cannot respond to something it does not know.

"It is the duty of the school to report such matters and as soon as it did the council took action.

"Throughout the council has given every support to the school and the police in all their investigations and actions and assisted in bringing the perpetrators of abuse to justice."

The council said: "A multi-agency inquiry was conducted through the East Riding Local Safeguarding Children Board and measures taken to strengthen child protection arrangements including the appointment of a child protection co-ordinator and improving child protection training for all East Riding schools.

"It has also ensured that all the child protection issues at the school have been brought out into the open and dealt with.

"The council's overriding concern is the health and welfare of East Riding pupils. As soon as the council is advised of an accusation against members of staff or anyone working with children, immediate action is taken to safeguard the young people concerned and the police are informed.

"All the recommendations arising from the Local Safeguarding Children Board inquiry have been published and implemented in full.

"Throughout the inquiry, senior officers of the council have been unrelenting in their focus on safeguarding and worked closely with other agencies, in particular the police, in bringing perpetrators of abuse before the courts."

Ann Reeve, chair of the Headlands School and Community College Governing Body, said: "The school has worked very closely with the local authority on this issue and all policies and procedures are in place and stringently adhered to."

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