A veteran doctor, convicted of stealing anaesthetic drugs, as well as drink-driving, pleaded yesterday: "Strike me off."

Illtyd Reynolds Thomas, 66, of Milner Street, South Shields, told the General Medical Council's (GMC) professional conduct committee in a letter that he appreciated it had a duty to protect patients and he had decided to end his long career in medicine voluntarily.

However, GMC solicitor Peter Steel told the committee it did not have the power to accept the doctor's request for voluntary erasure from the register, since he had already been suspended for a year following a hearing in April 2000.

The doctor was convicted at South Tyneside Magistrates; Court on December 2, 1999, of charges of theft, possession of a class C drug and twice driving with excess alcohol, and was jailed for four months.

Mr Steel told the resumed hearing that the offences occurred while Dr Thomas was working as a locum anaesthetist at the South Tyneside District General Hospital, in September 1999.

Mr Steel said the committee now had three choices before it - renew the doctor's suspension, impose conditions on his registration or order that he should be struck off.

The hearing continues.