FIELDING constant calls from the world's media, Brian Fyfield-Shayler handles the press like a pro.

The man who last week made national headlines after revealing he taught renowned terrorist Osama bin Laden, is now besieged by documentary makers, frantic to glean every fragment of information on the world's most wanted man.

Amid calls, the retired schoolteacher who spent many years teaching abroad, said he had never wanted to work in English schools.

'I was very impressed by the foreign students at Oxford. I had never had any intention of staying in England — I liked the idea of the ex-pat lifestyle,' said Brian.

His first teaching post was in Ghana. Then, at the precocious age of 22, he became head of English at the model Al-Thaghr School in Jeddah and in the late 60s, taught the teenaged bin Laden.

'I heard from friends in the early 1990s that he had made a nuisance of himself with his anti-Western and anti-Government stance in Saudi Arabia.

'I was saddened by this. I was very fond of all my students. Later I heard he had been disowned by his family and the Saudis had stripped him of his nationality.'

The first British teacher at the school, Brian found Al-Thaghr exciting and inspiring.

'I had unlimited finances, carte blanche to introduce anything into the syllabus . I could bring in any books I wanted. When I suggested the students could use film it was "Yes, fine, just order it".'

And Arab parents appeared to applaud the progressive, Western-style teaching methods.

'There was no criticism, no query, no questions — everybody thought it was the bees-knees,' he said.

After five years, Brian was invited to become a visiting professor at the King Abdul-Aziz University.

He drifted away from teaching during the 1970s, becoming involved in a number of business ventures.

With an associate, he attempted to set up an English newspaper for the Muslim world, and a publishing house to translate Arabic classics into English and vice-versa.

'One young man wanted to bring ice-cream vans to Arabia. We wrote some letters and within six months, he had a fleet of ten vans complete with bells,' said Brian.

He adopted a young Arab boy, seriously injured in revolutionary Aden.

'He literally dragged himself over land to Jeddah. I found him begging in a souk,' said Brian.

'He was just perkier, brighter than the rest — he had this tremendous attitude.'

Determined to get treatment for Mahmoud's paralysed legs, he 'bulldozed' his way through red-tape to bring him to England.

Unfortunately, the surgeons had to amputate the youngster's legs and were unsuccessful in fitting him with artificial limbs.

Mahmoud learned to adapt and even featured in a News of the World article, dubbing him 'The Bravest Boy in the World'.

Fresh from the arid landscape of Saudi Arabia, Brian came to Tavistock in 1977 and recalled his first impressions of Dartmoor.

'Of course, it was only Whitchurch Down, but I remarked to a friend how very trim it was. I assumed it was due to a band of men with lawnmowers from the local council, until my friend told me it was the work of sheep!'

Brian returned to Saudi and teaching in the early 80s, but since 1984 Tavistock has been his home.

He is now retired, and closely involved with volunteer and charity work.

He supports recovering alcoholics and addicts in the area and candidly admits he was 'drinking like a fish' when he first came to Tavistock.

'I stopped in January 1978 and it was the most difficult thing I have ever done in my life. I am immensely grateful to those people 24 years ago, and those who have kept me sober ever since. It's an absolute joy to return some of that help to others,' he said.

Brian also works for the Friends of Hadhramaut, a Trust formed to give humanitarian help to one of the most under-developed regions in the world.

Formerly part of the East Aden Protectorate, Brian became involved in Hadhramaut through his friendship with the then-exiled Sultan Ghalib, head of the Qu'aiti state in Hadhramaut.

'He was nearly 30 years in exile, but never gave up hope of returning,' said Brian, who is godfather to the Sultan's first-born son.

The Sultan finally returned to his state in 1996, when Brian visited him.

'The country had been virtually closed to foreigners since the British left. I was very saddened by the poverty, compared with the fantastic wealth of its neighbours.

'They have nothing, but they are positive, optimistic and enterprising people,' said Brian, who is currently trying to raise the £15,000 bill for shipping three giant containers of donated agricultural and hospital equipment to the Middle East.

He is surprised by the interest in his 'humble revelations' about bin Laden.

'He hadn't always been a pathological fanatic and I hoped the world would ask itself what could have happened to twist him so badly.

'After the attack on the US warship, he was being demonised. I felt I wanted to say "No, No, the young man I knew had no trace of such a monster".

'At that time I had a couple of sleepless nights. I felt I wanted to write to him, I wanted to do something. In the end, I did nothing.'

Brian believes religious fanaticism needs to be less appealing to young, enthusiastic and idealistic people. 'I believe we need to find a way to teach young people of all denominations that life is precious.'