A SUPER-head teacher has been found dead just weeks after he was forced out of his £260,000-a-year job.

Garry Phillips was discovered dead at home in Plymouth over the festive period but a cause of death is unknown.

The ex-squaddie was head of City College Plymouth but was recently forced out of his job following a no-confidence vote over job losses.

He had also come under pressure from unions to £100,000 of bonuses he had received while working there, Plymouth Live reports.

Mr Phillips had risen to become one of the most successful and highly paid education chiefs in the country.

He joined the Army before moving into teaching and joined City College Plymouth last year.

A spokesperson said: "It is with great sadness that we heard that Garry Phillips, former principal at City College Plymouth has tragically and unexpectedly passed away over the Christmas period.

"At the request of his family we delayed sharing this sad news until now. Garry’s family have asked that their grief and privacy is respected at this time

"The funeral will be on Friday, 11 January and Penny Wycherley, the interim principal and a former colleague of Garry’s, will represent the College and his colleagues in Plymo

"Garry worked hard as principal at New College Telford and Ealing, Hammersmith and West London College and then briefly at City College Plymouth.

"He started his career as an apprentice and took on a series of challenges in colleges in the North West and Midlands. He was always keen to make a difference and to improve the world."

Mr Phillips worked in colleges in Wigan, Preston, Kendall, Cheshire, Burton, and Telford before becoming chief executive at Ealing, Hammersmith and West London College in 2014.

The former soldier, who had masters degrees in business administration and education, took the college from a grade four Ofsted report to a grade two.

His hard work saw him become the fifth highest paid principal in the country, with a £260,000 salary.

Mr Phillips, who had two grown-up sons, also served on the Heathrow Skills Taskforce, chaired by Lord David Blunkett, and represented the Association of Colleges.