A NURSE at Leighton Hospital jailed for trying to kill two elderly patients has been banned from practicing medicine.

Barbara Salisbury, 50, was sentenced to five years in 2004 for attempting to murder two elderly patients in a bid to free up beds at the Crewe hospital.

She faced a misconduct hearing yesterday, Tuesday, and an independent committee decided she should be removed from the Nursing and Midwifery Council register.

Craig Turton, spokes-man for the council said: "This is such a serious crime that no less sanction would be appropriate. Salisbury has been removed so the public can continue to trust and be confident in the nursing profession."

The former ward sister will be free to reapply to practise nursing in five years.

She was released from HMP Drakehall in Staffordshire last Wed-nesday after serving just under three years and four months of her sentence.

She was found guilty at Chester Crown Court in June 2004 of trying to kill Frank Owen, aged 92, of Nantwich, and May Taylor, aged 88, of Crewe, in 2002.

The married mother of two also denied giving stroke victim Mrs Taylor excessive amounts of diamorphine.

She was cleared of attempting to murder James Byrne, a 76-year-old Davenham man, in 1999 and Reuben Thompson, 81, a former Middlewich furniture maker in 2002.