A NURSE has been suspended from her profession for stealing perfume from a care home resident.

Elsa McCormick took the bottle of Marc Jacobs perfume from the resident’s room while she worked at Highfield Hall Care Home, Grane Park, in Haslingden on July 7 last year.

A panel of the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) also found McCormick guilty of: being aware that the perfume did not belong to her; of knowing she did not have permission to take the perfume; and of taking possession of the perfume for her own personal use and/or benefit.

Following the incident, McCormick was suspended from the home but resigned the next day.

The NMC said: “The panel concluded that there was clear evidence of Ms McCormick admitting to taking the perfume to, the police and to Mrs 1(one of the witnesses), and this was supported by her being apologetic and embarrassed.

“Furthermore, the perfume was found in Ms McCormick’s bag by Miss 2 (another witness).

“The panel determined that, on the balance of probabilities, it was more likely than not that Ms McCormick did take the bottle of perfume from Resident A’s room without permission.”

McCormick denied the allegations and said she “does not recall” taking the bottle of perfume from the resident’s room, and that she admitted to the police “under duress” that she took the bottle.

A report on the NMC website adds that police took no action against McCormick given that she was ‘apologetic’.

McCormick was given a suspension order of 12 months and an interim suspension order for 18 months.

If no appeal is lodged within 28 days of the decision, the interim order would then be replaced by the suspension order.