A popular science teacher whose shock suspension and sacking brought noisy protests to the gates of a Watford school has been re-instated, the Watford Observer understands.

Martin Elvin, a teacher at Westfield School, in Tolpits Lane, Watford, was suspended in June 2009 and charged with three offences of misconduct, which included an allegation that he pushed a teenage boy into a door.

That decision sparked angry protests among placard-wielding former pupils, who held a noisy demonstration outside the school in February, timed to coincide with a visit by Ofsted inspectors.

More than 700 others expressed their support through the social networking internet site Facebook, where supporters left tributes and praised his “inspirational” teaching methods.

But these protests fell on deaf ears when, in March, a disciplinary committee of school governors dismissed him for gross misconduct – a decision that Mr Elvin took to appeal earlier in the year.

The results of these were not published but sources close to the case say the 54-year-old father-of-three will return to work later this term, as soon a as a convenient date can be agreed.

Supporter and former pupil Chris Mundy, who led the re-instatement campaign, expressed his delight.

He said: “I was delighted when I heard. It is great news not just for him but for Westfield School because he is an inspirational teacher and it’s the pupils who are going to benefit from this decision.

“It makes me feel proud that we stood up for him and that all our efforts were not in vain.

“He was one of those teachers that would always go the extra mile for pupils, he would stay behind after school to help you, he would take people to college interviews if they couldn’t get there. It speaks volumes of what kind of man he is that he’s willing to go back.”

Hertfordshire County Council, Mr Elvin’s employer, has not yet commented on the case.