Health centre employee jailed for stealing painkillers

An health centre employee has been jailed for stealing prescription drugs to treat his bad back.

David Bamford was arrested after staff at the centre in South Gloucestershire realised a number of medicines had been tampered with.

The 47-year-old, who assists anaesthetists during operations, had broken the ends from sealed glass capsules, before emptying them and filling them with other substances.

He then took the painkillers to treat his bad back.

Bamford was found guilty of stealing the painkillers fentanyl and diamorphine from the Emersons Green NHS Treatment Centre in South Gloucestershire.

He was also convicted of of causing a public nuisance, which relates to the contents of ampoules being tampered with and changed.

His crimes were uncovered in June 2015 when staff at the centre - which is run by Care UK - discovered the tampered bottles.

Further investigations revealed Bamford frequently accessed the storage area of the drugs.

It was also found that he ordered a higher quantity of drugs than the centre received - keeping the extras for himself.

Following a trial at Bristol Crown Court Bamford was jailed for two years.