A school teacher has been arrested on suspicion of snorting cocaine in front of the class she was teaching.

Two girls, aged nine and ten, said they saw Joan Donatelli, 59, dipping a pen cap into a plastic bag filled with white powder, then putting it to her nose.

Police confronted the substitute teacher at her home in Lewiston, New York, after finding traces of white powder in the classroom, reports Metro.

She handed over a small bag of powder and two pen caps and admitting to using cocaine in front of the children.

“She stated that she had a problem, that she had an addiction, something she’s been struggling with,” said Sergeant Frank Previte.

The school confirmed that Donatelli used to teach at the school full time, but is now retired, and acts as a substitute.

This article was found on Ananova.com