A mental health nurse who wrestled an emergency alarm out of a patient's hand has been suspended.

Staff nurse John McGrory was caught prising open the patient's hand with force during a shift at Monklands Hospital in Airdrie.

The say after the incident he lost his temper and accused the two colleagues who witnessed the incident of "talking b******t".

He was sacked by NHS Lanarkshire after an investigation but then lied about being given the boot to a prospective employer.

He applied for a job with Barchester Healthcare at Four Hills Care Home and said he had left Monklands was for an extended break.

Four months after being given the job on January 20, bosses discovered his lie and the nurse was sacked for misconduct.

He appeared before the Nursing and Midwifery Council on five charges of misconduct including the patient incident which happened on May 12 2012.

In a hearing by the Nursing and Midwifery Council, a panel found McGrory had breached several parts of the nurses code of conduct including respecting the dignity of patients.

It said: "The panel was of the view that for you to use force to prise open a patient's hand did put the patient at unwarranted risk of harm.

"You admitted that your actions could have caused the patient psychological and physical harm.

"The panel took the view that your actions, in putting the patient at such unwarranted risk of harm, amounted to serious misconduct.

"Nurses occupy a position of privilege and trust in society and are expected at all times to be professional.

"Patients and their families must be able to trust nurses with their lives and the lives of their loved ones."

Kenny Small, Director of HR at NHS Lanarkshire, said: "Mr McGrory was dismissed from NHSL in 2012 following an investigation into his conduct".

He was suspended from the nursing register for a year.