A bogus doctor who joined a slimming club and gave jabs to members was jailed for three and a half years today.

Fraudster Scott Walker,25, stole drugs and syringes from his gran's home nurse and hired taxis to deliver made-up prescriptions to his victims.

Walker gave flu and migraine vaccinations at slimming club meetings in Redcar, Teesside, and he also took blood samples for alleged cholesterol tests.

He charged one woman £63 for an injection against migraine which he said was a new wonder drug from America, said prosecutor Shaun Dodds.

Scott said he drove a silver Audi and lived in a big detached house in Guisborough, East Cleveland. In fact he lived with his gran after falling out with his parents when he announced he was gay, Teesside Crown Court was told.

Richard Bennett, defending, said:"When he administered these drugs to the victims there was no malicious intent, he did it in fact to help them."

Walker of Adshead Road, Dormanstown, Redcar, pleaded guilty to three actual bodily harm assaults, three offences of supplying controlled drugs Co-Codomol, Codeine Phosphate and Lorazepam, two thefts and two of obtaining cash by deception between June 2005 and August last year.

He was jailed for three and a half years.

* Read the full story in The Northern Echo tomorrow.