A NURSE has been struck off after he was found with indecent images and videos of children aged as young as five.

Patrick Coulter, from Padgate, was caught in possession of more than 100 sexual images of children on a number devices when his home was raided by police in 2015.

Now the North West Boroughs Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust nurse has been struck off by the Nursing and Midwifery Council following a hearing in London on Friday, June 29.

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The 35-year-old was spared jail at Liverpool Crown Court in January this year, having earlier been found guilty of six counts of making indecent images of a child, possession of indecent photographs of children and possession of extreme pornographic images.

Cheshire Police executed a warrant at his Jurby Court home in April 2015, during which 168 indecent images were found on three different devices.

Coulter had ‘actively searched for’ these sick photographs since April 2011, with extreme pornography showing bestiality also discovered on his computer.

And the NMC hearing, at which Coulter was neither present nor represented, was told that the registered mental health nurse ‘lacks any real insight’ into the ‘grave nature’ of his offences.

Panel chairman Julia Thompson said: “In all the circumstances, the panel considers that Mr Coulter’s actions are fundamentally incompatible with him remaining on the register.

“The panel was of the view that to suspend or allow Mr Coulter to continue practising would gravely undermine public confidence in the profession and in the NMC as a regulatory body.

“Therefore the panel decided to impose a striking off order.”

Coulter was handed a 15-month jail sentence suspended for two years earlier this year, and was also subjected to a rehabilitation activity requirement of up to 35 days and ordered to complete 160 hours of unpaid work.

He was ordered to sign the sex offenders register for 10 years, with a 10-year sexual harm prevention order also imposed on Coulter – who was based on a NWBH inpatient ward in Wigan.

Gail Briers, chief nurse and director of operational clinical services at NWBH, said: “The trust took action as soon as we were notified about the allegations against Mr Coulter in May 2015, and he was suspended with immediate effect.

“Following an internal investigation, he was dismissed from the trust.

“The trust fully supports the findings of the Nursing and Midwifery Council’s fitness to practice hearing.”