A MALE nurse became hyperactive and started talking gibberish after pocketing addictive painkillers, an inquiry heard yesterday.

David Garthwaite kept the pills instead of giving them to a patient at the University Hospital of Hartlepool, it is claimed. He is accused of professional misconduct for failing to administer Tramadol to a patient and for misappropriating six capsules.

The nurse, who was taking Tramadol for medical reasons at the time, admits holding on to the drug, but denied intending to keep them for his own purposes, the UK Council for Nursing Midwifery and Health Visitors was told yesterday.

The case continues.