A newspaper distributed extra copies of an edition scuppering a teacher’s bid to hide her boss’ child porn shame.

Whitecraig Primary School headteacher Andrew Melville was arrested and subsequently suspended from work after a police raid on his home last March.

But one of Melville’s colleagues asked the school’s janitor to buy all the copies of the East Lothian Courier from a village shop, leaving parents mystified over Melville’s sudden absence from work.

It was only after the newspaper was tipped off that extra copies were then distributed to the area, south of Musselburgh.

A spokesperson for East Lothian Council said: “A teacher at Whitecraig Primary, acting on her own initiative and without consulting East Lothian Council, asked the school’s janitor to buy up all copies of the Courier when the news about Mr Melville broke in March 2008.

“The council does not condone this action and views it as extremely regrettable.”

Police raided the 48-year-old’s home in March and found a laptop containing 457 images of children, the majority of which featured girls aged between eight and 15.

Melville pleaded guilty at Edinburgh Sheriff Court last December to being in possession of and distributing indecent photographs.

The paid-for title has a weekly circulation of 14,141 copies, according to the last report from the Audit Bureau of Circulation.

It is based in Haddington and sold throughout the East Lothin area.

The Courier’s parent company Dunfermline Press was approached for comment but had not responded at the time of publication.