A PATIENT has been charged with breaking into a prohibited area of a hospital and allegedly swiping sweets from a doctor’s bag.

Police were called to Sunderland Royal Hospital after security staff reported a patient had broken in a private conference room at 9.45pm on Sunday.

The area was strictly off-limits to members of the public with only medical staff permitted to enter.

When spotted by the hospital’s security staff, the intruder was reported to have started acting aggressively – prompting police to attend in order to ensure everyone’s safety.

When searched by police, the suspect was found in possession of a purse which was confirmed to belong to a member of staff, along with a pack of Maoam sweets that had been taken from the same handbag.

A 29-year-old man was subsequently arrested on suspicion of burglary.

He has since been charged and is due to appear before magistrates in South Tyneside later this year.

Detective Sergeant Chris-Raper Smith, who leads the Force’s Southern Burglary Team, said: “This was an unusual incident that risked escalating into something more serious – so I would like to thank officers and the hospital staff for working together to bring it swiftly under control.

“It is especially disappointing that a crime like this has happened at a time when hospital staff across our region and beyond are working tirelessly to keep communities safe and tackle the pandemic.

“There is absolutely no place for this kind of opportunistic crime and a suspect is due to appear before the courts in the coming months as a result of this investigation."