A clinic manager who had sex with three anorexic patients has been struck off after being found guilty of misconduct.

David Britten, 50, charmed the sick patients and falsely claimed he was a qualified psychotherapist who could help them beat their illness.

The vulnerable women were queueing up outside his office for one-to-one sessions as he developed his own "personality cult" a hearing was told.

Britten, of Shortgate Lane, Laughton near Lewes, took them out for dinner and whisked one woman away for a romantic four-day break in Somerset.

He told them he was terminally ill and his fiancee had died in a car crash and also bombarded the patients with phone calls.

It is also thought Britten may have preyed on other vulnerable women.

The registered nurse was found guilty of eight charges of misconduct at the Nursing and Midwifery Council in central London yesterday.

He was cleared of giving psychotherapy to two of the women but the committee found he still ignored orders not to meet the women behind locked doors.

Committee chairwoman Irene Waters said: "The respondent abused his privileged relationship with patients and privileged access allowed to their person and residence by engaging in improper relationships with each of them.

"The committee feels there is a serious risk this conduct could be repeated unless the respondent's name is removed from the register."

The hearing was told Britten was suspended from the Peter Dally Clinic in Westminster, central London, in May 2002, and resigned seven months later.

Police were called in to investigate after two patients complained in February 2002 but no charges were brought.

Dr Peter Carter, chief executive officer for the Central and Northwest London NHS Trust, said: "We believe that over many years, Britten conducted himself in a quite appalling manner towards patients and to various staff.

"They were courageous enough to come back and help us with our investigation.

"We also believe there were significant failures by senior, middle, and first-line managers and some clinicians over many years."

The NMC heard how Britten either performed oral sex upon the women or had intercourse with them on the floor of his locked office.

He continued the one-to-one sessions despite being told by his supervisors to stop.

Nicole Curtis, for the NMC, said Britten targeted the women, who all suffered from anorexia nervosa, shortly after they arrived at the clinic.

She said "From August 1996 until the beginning of 2002, he not only continued to undertake one-to-one sessions with the patients but developed relationships with the patients as a result of those sessions.

"He failed to maintain professional boundaries with three patients in a manner that represented an appalling breach of trust placed in him as a nurse and clinic manager."

Patient A told how their relationship began after Britten told her to sit on his lap and kissed her. On later visits he would touch her body under her clothing in his office, give her oral sex and have full sex while the door was locked.

Britten had sex with Patient B in her bedroom after she was admitted to the clinic in August 1997.

Patient C, admitted to the clinic in August 1996, said Britten took her out for drinks after she confessed she liked him.

Britten has not attended the hearing which is being held in his absence.