A NURSE who told a hospital consultant "you are going to die" in an abusive e-mail campaign has been struck off.

John Adams-Hughes, 49, a nurse at Basildon Hospital, left Dr Michael Imana feeling "embarrassed and humiliated" after sending malicious e-mails because he wrongly believed he had been involved in a plot to sack him.

Adams-Hughes, from Aveley, branded the respected medic an "incompetent bully" and "disgusting pervert" in e-mails he circulated to other members of staff.

He also accessed confidential information about a patient and his next of kin, and was then sacked after he was caught twice flouting a suspension order banning him from the hospital.

Yesterday, the Nursing and Midwifery Council banned Adams-Hughes from nursing.

Panel chairman Dr Elizabeth Rush told the hearing, in London, Adams-Hughes's ac-tions were fundamentally in-compatible with remaining on the register.

She said: "The content of the e-mails to the Basildon staff, and in particular to Dr Imana, was completely unacceptable.

"They were offensive, and those to Dr Imana were threatening too.

"Additionally, accessing pa-tient confidential information in the circumstances in which he did was a serious departure from professional standards."

The nurse, who was present for the first two days of the hearing, refused to attend yesterday.

The panel decided to continue the case in his absence.

Dr Rush added: "His actions were a serious departure from the relevant standards set out in the code of conduct.

"Confidence in the Nursing and Midwifery Council would be undermined if the registrant was not struck off."