A NURSE who was convicted of possessing more than 700 pornographic images of young boys has been struck off.

Christopher Anstey, from Partick in Glasgow, was arrested at the Southern General Hospital on November 21 2013 and suspended by NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde two days later.

The 39-year-old who worked at ward 24 of the hospital, which treats patients with blood diseases, pleaded guilty to two child pornography charges on June 18 2014.

The court noted that some of the photographs in his possession were "considered to be level 5 on the scale for such images, which is to be regarded as the most serious and degrading."

When he appeared before Glasgow Sheriff Court the nurse pleaded guilty to charges of taking, permitting to be taken or making, indecent photographs or pseudo-photographs of a child and possession of indecent photographs or pseudo photographs of children.

He was ordered to undertake 300 hours of unpaid work and his name was placed on the Sex Offenders' Register for three years.

The Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) held a hearing on Monday May 11 and found Anstey's convictions were "so serious as to have gravely undermined the public's confidence in the standards and behaviour expected of a registered nurse".

A panel said that a striking-off order was "the only appropriate and proportionate sanction" given the nature of his "serious offences."

The NMC condemned Anstey for his "serious criminal behaviour", saying that he had shown "no expression of insight, remorse or regret" and added that there was "a high risk of repetition of his criminal behaviour".

The NMC imposed a striking-off order on Anstey, removing him from the nursing register and banning him from practicing for five years.

He will be allowed to apply for restoration to the register after five years have passed.

Anstey did not attend the hearing and earlier told the NMC "he did not feel that his attendance would make a difference to the outcome".