A paedophile nurse who was convicted of hoarding sick images of children has been struck off after health bosses branded him “deplorable” and at “high risk or reoffending”.

Andrew Bryce was caught with the vile stash of images after a police sting.

He managed to avoid a jail term despite admitting to police that he was aroused looking at images of young children being abused.

Around 180 indecent images were found after officers seized 23 items including USB sticks, a mobile phone, a laptop and external hard drives.

Following his arrest in April 2017 the mental health nurse, who worked in North Ayrshire, was convicted over the haul in March this year, but was still a registered nurse until last month.

At a hearing with the Nursing and Midwifery Council however Bryce was deemed “deplorable” and a danger to the public and was struck off.

In documents seen by the Irvine Times the NMC said: “The panel was of the view that the findings in this particular case demonstrate that Mr Bryce’s actions were serious and deplorable and to allow him to continue practising would put patients at risk and undermine public confidence in the profession and in the NMC as a regulatory body.

“The panel found that Mr Bryce’s conduct in taking or permitting to be taken or making indecent photographs or pseudo photographs of children and possessing such material is serious.

“The charges for which Mr Bryce was convicted involve serious harm to children. “There were “high level B indecent images” of children on his computer.

“The panel is of the view that there is a risk of repetition.

“The panel has no material before it to satisfy it that Mr Bryce would not repeat his behaviour.”

The panel also said Bryce had “brought the profession into disrepute by adversely affecting the public’s view of how a registered nurse should conduct himself.”

Bryce, of Fiddison Place in Prestwick, was sentenced to a Community Payback Order with a Supervision Requirement for three years and placed on the Sex Offender’s Register.