Mother tells of her grief as 'dedicated and inspirational' secondary school teacher, 55, with no underlying health conditions dies from Covid two days after Christmas leaving three children behind

Diana Hilditch said she didn't get the chance to see her son, Paul, 55, in hospital to say goodbye before he died of coronavirus 

The heartbroken mother of a secondary school teacher who died from Covid-19 just two days after Christmas said she didn't get the chance to see him in hospital to say goodbye.

Teesside teacher and divorced father-of-three Paul Hilditch, 55, had no known underlying health conditions and it is not yet clear how he caught the virus. 

His mother, Diana, told MailOnline today: 'I am absolutely heartbroken. It is just such a terrible thing to have lost him. He had no underlying health conditions. He even climbed mountains. 

'The worse thing is that I didn't get to see him to say goodbye. He was in hospital for two weeks and on a ventilator.'  

Parents, pupils and teachers have described Mr Hilditch, who taught engineering and technology at Conyers School for four years, as 'dedicated and inspirational' following his death on Sunday. 

Headteacher Louise Spellman said they were 'deeply saddened' at the sudden loss of their colleague and friend, adding that he was 'a truly dedicated, caring and well-loved member of staff'. 

Paul Hilditch, 55, died just two days after Christmas following a two-week battle with Covid-19. His mother said: 'I am absolutely heartbroken. It is just such a terrible thing to have lost him. He had no underlying health conditions. He even climbed mountains. The worse thing is that I didn't get to see him to say goodbye. He was in hospital for two weeks and on a ventilator'

His death comes as coronavirus cases continue to surge across the UK and ministers announced plans to close every secondary school and hundreds of primary schools for at least an extra week. 

That leaves parents and schoolchildren facing further disruption after amid fears over the the effect of home learning on pupil's development and mental well-being. 

But many teachers and unions had been demanding that  schools shut before the Christmas holiday, while the government insisted on keeping them open. 

Ministers also threatened legal action against schools that closed early. But in a dramatic u-turn, Education Secretary Gavin Williamson yesterday confirmed that most secondary school pupils will see the start of term delayed by a fortnight to January 18, and exam year pupils will return on January 13. 

Engineering teacher Paul Hilditch, pictured with his daughter Camille in 2018, died on December 27, prompting an outpouring of grief from teachers, pupils and parents at Conyers School in Teesside

Teaching unions have also criticised the Government's handling of the pandemic as they called for greater risk assessments to protect staff from the virus.

Today Britain announced a further 964 Covid-19 deaths on top of another 55,892 new infections.

Judy Sisterton, 72, had lived next door to Mr Hilditch in the pretty village of Heighington, County Durham, for eight years.

The pensioner, who works in the kitchen of a nearby pub, said: 'Paul was such a lovely man.

'I am just in shock by the news. One of the other neighbours said his car hadn't moved for a while but I didn't think much of it as I assumed he was on his school holidays.

'He was very well respected in the community.

'I am surprised to hear about what's happened as he was healthy and young. He was always out his bike.

'He has been a great help to me throughout the pandemic, always asking if he could get me anything from the shops. It's so sad.'

It is understood Mr Hilditch has three children, two adult daughters and a son.

Ms Spellman said: 'Paul was a fantastic teacher who thought so much of his students and really gave his all to ensure they achieved their best,' she said. 

'Paul loved our school and our students: he will be remembered as a kind, devoted and truly brilliant teacher.

'All of our thoughts and prayers are with Paul's friends and family at this time.' 

Tributes were paid on social media to Mr Hilditch, who was a keen member of local reenactment group the Northern World War Two Association. 

The parents of a pupil said: 'My son really took to him and the way he taught - despite having only been taught by him since September.

'Absolutely heartbreaking, thoughts and love to his family.'

Another wrote: 'Such a terrible loss. My daughter thought he was a great teacher. My thoughts go out to his family.'

One shocked pupil said: 'No way I'm reading this, he was one the best teachers in there. Rest in peace.' 

Mr Hilditch's death comes as the Government announced that Year 11 and Year 13 classes will return to school on January 11, with other secondary school pupils heading back a week later.

Primary schools in heavily afflicted areas such as London, Essex and Kent will now not be allowed to reopen on January 4 as ministers had hoped. 

Only vulnerable children and the children of key workers will be allowed to return to their desks, while the rest will be forced to attend lessons online.

The Prime Minister also pushed back the start of term for the bulk of secondary school pupils by a week, meaning they are now set to return on January 18 rather than January 11 - when only Years 11 and 13 preparing for exams will go back.

Dr Patrick Roach, general secretary of the NASUWT, said the government needed to prioritise access to a Covid-19 vaccine for teachers and education staff. 

He said: 'It has been abundantly clear throughout the autumn term that the pandemic is seriously impacting on the ability of all schools to continue to operate normally and safely. 

Total national lockdown by the end of January is inevitable, says SAGE expert as 20million are plunged into Tier 4 and Boris pins everything on Oxford vaccine after 981 die in worst daily death toll since April 

Another national lockdown is inevitable, a SAGE expert warned today as 20million more people across England woke up to life under Tier Four rules, imposed after the UK yesterday recorded its worst Covid death toll since April.

Dr Mike Tildesley, a member of the scientific modelling committee, which advises the government as a sub-group of SAGE, says the whole country will likely have to be plunged into Tier 4 or a national lockdown before the end of January in a bid to stem spiralling infection rates.

In a stark warning on BBC Radio 4 today, he said: 'Cases are rising in a really concerning way, so I suspect that unfortunately we will see a ramping-up even further of restrictions, probably more of the country being in Tier 4 or ultimately probably a national lockdown before we get to the end of January'.

It comes as a Boris Johnson last night warned of a new 'reality' with mutant Covid rampant on Wednesday as he plunged virtually the whole of England into brutal lockdown until the spring - with the UK recording 981 deaths in the worst daily toll since April and vaccines now the only hope of escape.   

'However, schools have faced continued and unnecessary uncertainty which has created huge anxiety for pupils, parents and staff which could and should have been avoided.

'Risk assessment measures must be urgently reviewed and updated in light of the new dangers that have been identified by the Government.' 

The Department for Education is racing to put a mass testing system in place, but has warned the curbs could need to be even wider than for primaries as older children are more likely to spread the disease. The situation is not expected to become clear until the next review date of January 13.   

One parent said today that the situation is 'totally ridiculous', adding: 'The school at one end of the street I live in will be closed while the school at the other end is open'. 

Another said their area had been 'split in two' with 'schools on one side of the road closed, the other side open'. 

Around two-thirds of schools in the capital will be shut for an extra fortnight from Monday - meaning there are many households where one child will be forced to stay at home while another will still go to school in a neighbouring borough.   

With most secondary schools shut until at least January 18 - or even indefinitely - millions of children face weeks or even months of 'inadequate' virtual classes.

Experts say that months at home during the first lockdown saw many youngsters regress academically, socially and developmentally with only vulnerable children and the children of key workers in the worst-hit areas allowed to return to their desks next week.

Jon Richards, head of education at the union Unison, said: 'Everyone agrees it's important for schools and colleges to open but it can't be at any expense when infections are rising.

'This delay for secondary schools is a sensible decision, giving more time to organise mass testing effectively to limit the spread. Primary and early years reopening should also be delayed because social distancing isn't really possible.

'Ministers should also ensure any moves to extend the vaccine priority list must cover all school staff and not just teachers.'

Confusion for millions over Covid school closures: Parents rage as some primaries are allowed to open while others a few yards away are forced to close - as Williamson refuses to apologise and London's Labour councils demand ALL classes must be cancelled 

Gavin Willliamson today refused to apologise as raging parents face schools chaos - with primaries on neighbouring streets getting different orders on whether to shut their doors and fears thousands of secondaries will not open fully until the Spring.

The Education Secretary batted away criticism over the dramatic U-turn that means around a million children at primaries in Covid 'hotspots' in London, Essex, Hertfordshire, Buckinghamshire, East Sussex and Kent will stay at home when term begins on January 4.

Amid signs of a bitter row in Cabinet, Mr Williamson said the government was having to move at 'incredible pace' due to the mutant strain of coronavirus.

But the decisions over what areas are classified as high-risk were branded 'illogical' today, with little clarity over the criteria being used to set the rules. London councils are calling for all classes to be cancelled.

Secondaries also face an anxious wait to find out whether they will be able to reopen fully on the new target date of January 18.

The Department for Education is racing to put a mass testing system in place, but has warned the curbs could need to be even wider than for primaries as older children are more likely to spread the disease. The situation is not expected to become clear until the next review date of January 13.

One parent said today that the situation is 'totally ridiculous', adding: 'The school at one end of the street I live in will be closed while the school at the other end is open'. Another said their area had been 'split in two' with 'schools on one side of the road closed, the other side open'.

Around two-thirds of schools in the capital will be shut for an extra fortnight from Monday - meaning there are many households where one child will be forced to stay at home while another will still go to school in a neighbouring borough.

With most secondary schools shut until at least January 18 - or even indefinitely - millions of children face weeks or even months of 'inadequate' virtual classes that the head of Ofsted believes sets back children 'years', particularly those from working class backgrounds.

Experts say that months at home during the first lockdown saw many youngsters regress academically, socially and developmentally with only vulnerable children and the children of key workers in the worst-hit areas allowed to return to their desks next week.

The chaos and division over schools came as:

Boris Johnson suggested this evening that even the January 18 return date could be changed for some schools as he said the Government's approach will be shaped by infection rates

Labour's London Mayor Sadiq Khan and party colleagues running the city's councils are pushing for all schools in London to shut as UK daily infections hit 50,000 again yesterday and headteachers in Tier 4 areas have hinted they could defy the Government and close anyway. Union members have even called for teachers to go on strike.

Jo Riley, who runs a school in Hackney, tweeted today: 'Since March 2020 I've tried to be open & transparent with my school community about the decisions we've made. Yesterday's announcement has broken me. I can't look them in the eye and say our school is open on the 4th when they can see the stats'.

Greenwich Council leader Dan Thorpe, who tried to shut schools before Christmas, said: 'I'm extremely concerned that Gavin Williamson has made the wrong decision today for schools, teachers, families & children in Greenwich. The decision doesn't make sense and I will be doing everything in my power to make sure we get the right solution'.

Plans for all primary school pupils to return to classrooms next week were halted last night as Mr Johnson vowed to 'redouble' efforts to stem the mutant strain of coronavirus.

Primary schools in heavily afflicted areas such as London, Essex and Kent will now not be allowed to reopen on January 4 as ministers had hoped.

Only vulnerable children and the children of key workers will be allowed to return to their desks, while the rest will be forced to attend lessons online.

The Prime Minister also pushed back the start of term for the bulk of secondary school pupils by a week, meaning they are now set to return on January 18 rather than January 11 - when only Years 11 and 13 preparing for exams will go back.

Mr Johnson even cast doubt over this return date and said: 'I want to stress that depending on the spread of the disease it may be necessary to take further action in their cases as well in the worst affected areas.'

In a round of interviews this morning, Mr Williamson struggled to explain how the restrictions on primary schools were being decided.

He told Sky News: 'The work that was done with the Department of Health who identified areas where it was either a very high rate or, using their latest data, were seeing very sharp increases in the number of cases or equally the pressures on hospitals in that area and the clinical needs.

'These were all the considerations that were taken into account but what I want to say, and this will come as no surprise to you whatsoever, I want to see schools, any school, that's closed for those first two weeks, opening at the earliest possible opportunity.'

Asked whether he apologised to parents, teachers and children for the notice given for the measures, Mr Williamson said: 'I think we all recognise that if we go back a few weeks where there was no new variant of Covid, none of us would have been expecting us to be having to take the actions, whether it's in regards to schools, whether it's in regards to Tier 4 moves that the Government has had to make, but it's the Government that's having to respond at incredible pace to a global pandemic and then a new variant of that virus.