A nurse had sex with three anorexic patients on the floor of his locked office in an appalling breach of trust, an inquiry heard.

David Britten, 50, from Lewes, was accused of seducing the patients after falsely claiming he was a qualified psychotherapist who could help them with their illness.

Britten is facing eight misconduct charges at a Nursing and Midwifery Council hearing in London.

He won patients' sympathy by claiming he was terminally ill and his fiance had died in a car crash, the hearing was told.

It happened during unauthorised therapy sessions at the Peter Dally Clinic in Vincent Square, Westminster.

The hearing was told the registered nurse and clinic manager also charmed the women by taking them out for dinner.

He took one of them for a romantic four-day break in Somerset, it was alleged.

Britten helped two of them find flats near the clinic when they became outpatients as the sexual encounters continued.

The nurse also bombarded the women with phone calls, the hearing was told.

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

His activities were finally exposed by an investigation by NHS bosses when two of his patients made complaints in February 2002 and he was suspended.

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

She said: "The council's case is that from August 1996 until the beginning of 2002, the respondent 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 befriended three young women. He arranged private meetings with his patients in his office, which he locked."

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

The inquiry heard Britten approached the first patient, referred to as A, after she was admitted in 1996.

He struck up a relationship with the second patient, known as B, in 1997.

The third patient, C, was admitted in August 1996 and also soon began sessions with Britten.

Despite being questioned, neither patient A nor patient C revealed their relationships with the nurse, fearing he could be sacked.

It was alleged Britten told patient B that people at the clinic were out to get both of them and "sabotage" her recovery.

The hearing lasts until tomorrow.