A DISGRACED former nurse from Wenvoe who was imprisoned last year for a string of sexual assaults against co-workers has been permanently struck off.

Andrew Lauder, 55, was jailed for two years and nine months in September for seven counts of sexual assault, all of which took place at the hospital where he worked.

A Nursing and Midwifery Council committee decided last week to ban Lauder from working as a nurse, saying the nature of his conviction made him "unfit to practice."

The panel determined that Lauder had brought the profession into disrepute, and would undermine public confidence were he allowed to resume working as a nurse upon his release.

The committee also said there was a risk that Lauder may repeat such behaviour in the future, citing a statement he provided to the council in November continuing to deny any wrongdoing.

Deciding whether or not to ban Lauder from the register permanently, the panel said: "Temporary removal from the register would not be an appropriate sanction given the serious nature of Mr Lauder’s criminal conviction.

"The panel has no doubt Mr Lauder’s criminal conviction is so serious and at odds with the role of a registered nurse that it would not be appropriate to allow him to remain on the register.

"Such behaviour is fundamentally incompatible with ongoing registration as a nurse."

Lauder has 28 days to appeal the ruling.