A HOSPITAL official at the centre of an investigation into allegations about his CV started his career in the North-East, it has emerged.

An NHS inquiry has been launched to determine whether Neil Taylor faked his qualifications to get a string of high-paying hospital jobs.

Mr Taylor, 42, who worked in Newcastle 18 years ago, resigned from his post as chief executive of Shrewsbury and Telford NHS Hospital Trust in October.

It is alleged he quit when record checks revealed doubts about the authenticity of the qualifications that helped him gain three NHS chief executive jobs in ten years.

His career started on Tyneside when he was employed for what was then Newcastle Health Authority.

Mr Taylor also worked at the Queen's Medical Centre, in Nottingham, and became chief executive at Birmingham's Royal Orthopaedic Hospital in 1995.

Four years later, he was appointed chief executive at the Royal Shrewsbury Hospital, in Shropshire, and went on to become chief executive of the Shrewsbury and Telford hospital trust when the Royal Shrewsbury and Telford's Princess Royal merged.

The trust ran checks on employees and Mr Taylor's alleged fraud is said to have been exposed when he could not produce documents to back up his CV's claims.

During his time in the North-East, Mr Taylor worked at the Freeman Hospital, which is run by Newcastle Hospitals Trust.

A trust spokeswoman said last night: "Mr Taylor did a short secondment at the Freeman about 18 years ago. He was a middle manager but wasn't here long."