We are appealing on the basis that the court did not take any consideration of the information put forward by our lawyers

Pat Maguire, NUT

Gemma Carter, 13, drowned in June 1999 after she apparently became separated from the rest of the school party during a period of "supervised free time" in Le Touquet.

Duckworth's union, the National Union of Teachers, said the French court had not taken account of all the evidence.

NUT regional officer, Pat Maguire, said: "We had ten days to put in an appeal, and with concerns about the Easter period, we had to move quickly.

"We are appealing on the basis that the court did not take any consideration of the information put forward by our lawyers.

'Deeply shocked'

Duckworth was deeply shocked by the verdict, Mr Maguire said.

Mark Duckworth is appealing against the sentence

"He had the advantage of an interpreter and he felt that the court appeared to ignore certain things that were being said, or at least play them down."

The case against the teacher followed a year-long investigation by French police.

The prosecution alleged the accident could have been prevented if more precautions had been taken.

Duckworth, who taught French at Cockburn High School in Leeds, is currently suspended from the post.

He will remain suspended until the results of an internal investigation are known.

Week-long trip

The teenager was on week-long trip with 43 other children and five teachers.

Gemma was swimming in treacherous waters

On the second day the teenager was paddling with friends off a treacherous spit of sand when she became separated and drowned.

Gemma was not reported missing until the group returned to the hotel that night.

Her body was found later that night by a fisherman two miles up the coast.