Purefoy blasts "boring" history teachers

James Purefoy has said that boring history teachers should be "banged up" for making the subject seem dull.

The British actor, whose latest movie Ironclad is based on the 13th century siege of Rochester Castle, told Digital Spy that he had a bad experience with a "terrible history teacher" at school.

He said: "It's a kind of a criminal offence to be a boring history teacher because it's so fascinating - it's so interesting once you actually do look at it. If you've just got someone with a little bit of passion sitting behind that desk, that's all it takes - passion.

"You should be banged up if you're a boring history teacher because it's almost impossible to be boring about history. It's gripping and it has made us what we are and helps us to understand the world we live in."

Ironclad, co-starring Paul Giamatti, Kate Mara and Jason Flemyng, opens in UK cinemas on Friday.

> Click here to watch our interview with James Purefoy