A nurse who smoked heroin in hospital toilets while she was on duty has been struck off.

Suzanne O'Leary inhaled the fumes off silver foil in front of a horrified colleague, a disciplinary hearing was told.

She fell asleep at her work station while she was supposed to be keeping an eye on vulnerable patients.

The committee found the allegations proved and found her guilty of five charges of misconduct.

The incident happened while O'Leary was employed by South Downs NHS Health Trust as a staff nurse at Mill View Hospital in Hove in late 1998.

The hearing was told how on a number of occasions she went to the toilet with a colleague and smoked heroin in front of him.

Nursing assistant Matthew Godfrey, of Hove, said O'Leary told him she had "something naughty" in a cigarette packet before producing the drug.

He claimed on the first occasion he left as she prepared a fix but the second time he stayed and watched.

Mr Godfrey told the committee: "I was quite reluctant to approach her about it.

"I could not see that her behaviour necessarily at that point was a danger to the patients. I like her and I did not want to be saying anything to anyone about it."

Mr Godfrey, who is now a student nurse at Brighton University, said O'Leary often looked very drowsy and suffered severe mood swings on the ward.

He visited her home on one occasion to buy a bike from a housemate and watched her smoke heroin in front of her three-year-old child.

Helen Kitchen, for the UKCC said: "There was dark, tarry substance on the foil and again nurse Howell stated this was heroin.

"She proceeded to put a lighter under the unfolded piece of foil, put the foil tube to her nostril and inhaled the fumes.

The committee was told worried staff on Promenade Ward, which cared for people with mental problems and drug abuse problems, watched as O'Leary fell asleep on duty.

Miss Kitchen said: "Staff were concerned that she was not fully awake and on duty."

It was claimed the nurse lied in her application form to the hospital by claiming she had no previous conviction.

But, said Miss Kitchen, she was convicted of four charges of possessing a controlled drug in August 1992, and of theft and breaching a probation order in December, 1982.