A NURSE who branded a colleague a 'gollywog' has been thrown out of the profession.

Neil Robertson made the offensive remark at Darlington Memorial Hospital and called another member of staff a 'ginger whinger'.

He was suspended last year after squaring up to a patient's boyfriend telling him: "Come back and see me when you're more of a man."

Robertson was initially investigated and suspended by the Nursing and Midwifery Council a year ago after the patient complained.

He become angry during a nightshift on June 28, 2009, when the patient became tearful during a telephone conversation with a relative.

After a doctor discharged the patient, Robertson walked over to the couple and said he was "f***ing sick of all the noise."

He told her: "You're making too much noise and ripped out her drip."

The patient's boyfriend was horrified and an argument broke out

As they squared up to each other Robertson said: "You're just a little boy, come back to me when you're more of a man."

An NMC panel last year also found Robertson had variously referred to colleagues as gollywogs, jobsworths, and ginger whingers.

Panel chair Richard Davies said: "The panel noted the substantive panel's view that the suspension order would give Mr Robertson the opportunity to remedy his conduct.

"This panel has received no information that he has used this time to do so.

"The facts found proved are wide-ranging, encompass his clinical practice as well as his clear attitudinal problems over a period of two-and-a-half years.

"Mr Robertson had disengaged from involvement with his regulatory body and had decided not to pursue his career as a registered nurse.

"In light of this, the panel was of the view that there was no likelihood that Mr Robertson would use the period a further suspension order for the purpose of taking steps to remediate his past conduct.

"For this reason the panel concluded that extending the current suspension order would serve no purpose.

"Accordingly, a striking-off order is the appropriate and proportionate response."

A number of charges were previously found proved against Robertson, including clinical practice errors.

He was also found to have been rude to the patient and referred to colleagues with inappropriate nicknames.

Last year, when news of the case was reported Robertson wrote to The Northern Echo to explain his conduct, saying he was "undergoing a complete mental breakdown in which I medicated myself with large amounts of alcohol".