A MALE psychiatric nurse who was jailed for a sex attack on a teenager has been banned from nursing for life.

William Barbour - who was jailed for a year in 2000 for indecently assaulting the 17-year-old student - was banned by the professional conduct committee of the Nursing and Midwifery Council, London.

Barbour, of Chester Road North, Kidderminster, had his case heard behind closed doors.

The committee decided he was not in a fit mental state to conduct his defence in public after hearing medical evidence and that he had a history of self-harm.

The 47-year-old was employed as a psychiatric nurse at HMP Brockhill, a women's prison in Redditch, when he was jailed.

He had denied charges of rape, indecent assault, theft and making a threat to kill the girl.

Worcester Crown Court heard during the March 2000 hearing how he had met the girl when she was 16, and the relationship had developed into a sexual one.

She had claimed he demanded weekly sex in exchange for loading a disk onto her computer, had forced her to commit a sex act on him, and told her she was "going to die".

Barbour was eventually cleared of one count of indecent assault, rape and making threats to kill, but was convicted of indecent assault and theft.

Kirsty O'Brien, spokeswoman for the Nursing and Midwifery Council, said Barbour had been removed from the register for life by the committee last Thursday, and would no longer be able to practise in the UK.

She added he could apply for reinstatement, but said that in reality very few people applied.