A nurse has been struck off the register after being found guilty of indecently touching a patient.

Samuel Bovell, 68, of Great Baddow, Chelmsford, had denied allegations of indecently touching the woman - known only as Miss A - who now works as a nanny.

He admitted he had "sought to comfort Miss A" when she was admitted to the Linden Centre at Chelmsford's Broomfield Hospital for severe depression and an eating disorder in 1997.

He denied he had tried to take advantage of her distress to grope her.

He told a hearing of the professional conduct committee of the United Kingdom Central Council for Nursing, Midwifery and Health Visiting: "I told her how to look after herself and how to comfort herself."

He claimed he had been shocked at the accusations.

The committee on Tuesday found Bovell guilty on two charges of professional misconduct after a two-day hearing.

The hearing had heard Bovell made sexual advances to the woman and fondled her as he checked to see how much weight she had lost, and touched her indecently under the guise of taking her blood pressure.

Miss A had told the tribunal it had made her feel suicidal.

The committee ruled Bovell was guilty of misconduct. It ordered he should be struck off the nursing register immediately but Bovell has three months to appeal.

Council director of professional conduct Liz McAnulty said the committee's ruling made it clear zero tolerance of all forms of abuse was the only way of ensuring the public's protection.

"There are few more reprehensible breaches of the boundaries to the professional relationship than the sexual abuse of a patient by a nurse.

"He has been removed from the register in order to protect the public and to send a clear message to the profession that nurses who abuse their patients can expect their regulatory body to take a firm line."

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