A dentist persuaded a patient to loan him her savings before disappearing without paying a penny back, the General Dental Council heard today.

James Hamilton talked patient Jennifer Burgess into handing over more than £3,000 by claiming he knew of a get-rich-quick scheme.

But Hamilton failed to repay the cash as promised and when Mrs Burgess went to his surgery she discovered he had left the practice, the central London hearing was told.

Hamilton also borrowed £2,500 from another patient, Derek Pontin, which he never repaid, it was claimed.

Hamilton, of Valley Drive, Brighton, is accused of serious professional misconduct.

Sarah Vaughan-Jones, for the council, said Hamilton first approached Mr Pontin in September 2000.

Mr Pontin, from Hove, had been a patient of Hamilton's for 15 years but did not consider him to be a personal friend.

Hamilton told Pontin he had been involved in a car accident and needed £2,500 to "tide him over", Ms Vaughan-Jones said.

Mr Pontin agreed to loan the money that day for a week but Hamilton allegedly dodged his attempts to recover the cash.

Mr Pontin tried to track the dentist down through phone directories and a land registry and eventually contacted a debt collection company. Through them he had managed to recover only £161, the hearing was told.

A week later Mrs Burgess, a friend of Hamilton's, attended for an appointment at the surgery in New Church Road in Hove.

Ms Vaughan-Jones said: "In the course of treatment, conversation turned to money and he asked if she had any put aside. She confided that she had a small amount of savings.

"Later that day he phoned her at home and asked to loan £3,000. He said he had a financial scheme which he guaranteed would make 15 per cent interest."

Mrs Burgess, from Shoreham, handed over £1,000 and her partner, Godfrey Bullen, gave a £2,000 cheque.

Hamilton was so desperate to get his hands on the money that he offered to send a taxi to pick it up, the hearing was told.

Hamilton failed to repay the cash and when Mrs Burgess went to the surgery three weeks later she found he had left.

Letters she forwarded to him went unanswered and she has heard nothing from him since, Ms Vaughan-Jones said.

Hamilton, who represented himself at the hearing, said he did not dispute the allegations made against him.

He said: "All I wish to show is that at the time in question I was not in the best of health and I acted irrationally. Since I have realised my actions, I have acted accordingly and have tried to correct them."

The council's professional conduct committee found the facts against Hamilton proved.

They referred his case to the council's health committee, which will decide whether hiss health problems contributed to his actions, before deciding whether he is guilty of serious professional misconduct.

Details of Hamilton's medical history were heard today in private. No date was set for the next stage of the hearing.