A NURSE was jailed for nine months after using forged documents and overstaying his allowed time in the UK.

Roy Kudzai Mapfumo of Southport had pleaded guilty to two fraud offences in May and was sentenced at Liverpool Crown Court this week.

An investigation by the NHS counter fraud team revealed he had received an NHS bursary of £20,317.10 but then gained employment in a private nursing home.

In February 2001 Mapfumo had been granted limited leave to remain as a student in the UK until the end of October that year, but failed to contact the Home Office when his leave expired. He obtained a place on a three-year degree course in Adult Nursing, at Buckinghamshire New University, using a forged passport which falsely claimed he had an indefinite leave of stay.

In February, 2001, Mapfumo had, in fact, been granted only limited leave to remain as a student in the UK until the end of October the same year but failed to contact the Home Office when his leave expired.

He applied for his job at the private nursing home using his Zimbabwean passport, together with a forged Home Office letter indicating there were no restrictions on seeking employment.