A teacher admitted to police she visited three hotels to see a boy, a court has heard.

St Albans crown court heard today how Jenine Saville-King made the admission to police after being arrested at her home in St Albans.

Mrs Saville-King, who taught at a Watford school, denies seven counts of sexual activity with a child and one count of abuse of trust.

She told the court today that she only met the boy at the Travel Inn in Hatfield on March 23, 2005, after he threatened to commit suicide.

The boy was in a very emotional state and and no sexual activity took place, she said.

They then met up on September 29, 2005, at a Travel Inn in Watford.

She said the boy had phoned her again saying if she didn't meet him at the hotel he would make a school investigation into their relationship that had been going on, "100 times worse".

At the hotel she claimed they just talked and he again was threatening to commit suicide.

The third occasion she said was at Sopwell House Hotel in St Albans on October 7, 2005.

Once again he had phoned her in a threatening way saying "I've had enough of this. Now we do it my way. How much do you love your baby?"

Mrs Saville-King, formerly of St Albans but now of Hook, Hampshire, said on this occasion he was violent towards her and punched her on the arm.

The case continues.