A NURSING union has claimed overseas nurses are facing unfair and discriminatory treatment in the region.

Martin O'Neill, Northern regional officer for the Royal College of Nursing (RCN), said the recent influx of overseas nurses, had resulted in "quite a few" complaints about the behaviour of private employers.

Nurses flown in from the Philippines to work in private care homes had their pay docked to pay for air fares, and for bonds, which would be forfeited if they switched jobs, said Mr O'Neill.

Earlier this year, the RCN office in Newcastle was receiving "four or five calls a week" from overseas nurses, he said.

"I actually had a couple of Filipino nurses who had a month's pay docked, leaving them with no money at all," said Mr O'Neill, who said he was still getting one or two calls a week from overseas nurses.

"When I threatened their employers with action under race discrimination laws the money was paid," he said.

In some cases, overseas nurses who left private employers and joined local NHS hospitals had been "hounded" for thousands of pounds of compensation, said Mr O'Neill.

Nationally, the number of non-European nurses coming to work in the UK rose from 5,945 in 1999-2000, to 8,404 this year.

Last week, 40 Filipino nurses joined the Newcastle Hospitals NHS Trust, and in May 50 nurses from the Philippines were recruited by the University Hospital of North Tees, in Stockton.

Last year, North Tyneside General Hospital hired 30 nurses from the Philippines, and two years ago, Sunderland Royal Infirmary recruited 55 South African nurses.

Caroline Hyde-Price, head of the RCN's International Corporate Affairs department, said some nurses had been subject to "discriminatory and illegal practices in NHS and independent sector employment".

But Janette Malham, spokeswoman for the Care North East group, said most overseas nurses were working happily in the care home sector.

"Where we have responsible care home owners, and nurses who take their contractual obligations seriously, the arrangements work very well," she said.

Mrs Malham said that it cost £6,000 to fly nurses from the Philippines.

In recognition of this outlay, nurses were usually asked to sign a two-year contract, she said.