A MALE community psychiatric nurse has been struck off after admitting having a sexual relationship with a suicidal patient.

At a Nurses Conduct Committee yesterday, Alan Gary Lidbetter, 45, admitted conducting a relationship between November 1994 and October 1996 with a patient while employed by Scarborough and North East Yorkshire Healthcare Trust.

Solicitor David Glendinning, said the woman, referred to as Patient A, became depressed and suicidal in June 1994.

She was assigned to Mr Lidbetter, part of the community mental health team at the Anchorage, in Whitby, and had hourly meetings with him from September 1994.

Mr Glendinning said that, as the sessions progressed, she began to feel attracted to him and, when she asked him out, they ended up having sex at his home.

Their relationship continued between December 1994 and September 1996 and Patient A claimed they had sex twice in a room at the Anchorage.

In November 1995, she admitted to her partner, Mr B, she was having an affair with Mr Lidbetter and he was suspended from his job.

Mr B then attempted to kill himself and went to see his GP who realised the identity of the nurse and reported him.

Lidbetter told the committee he was not aware of policies on personal relationships.

He said: "At the time a relationship was indicated beyond the professional one there was lots of issues going on in my life. I had my own vulnerabilities.

"I was seeing a therapist at the time and Miss A was offering me a friendship I did not have and really wanted."

After hearing he would be struck off with immediate effect Lidbetter stood up and walked out of the room without listening to the reasons for the decision.