A nurse who lied to get a job before stealing from the hospital which employed her has been handed a nine month suspended sentence.

Kethiwe Caroline Chitumbura, 38, of Collingwood Road, Sutton, stole solpadol, Cocodamol and pregnancy test kits from hospitals across south London.

Despite being on sick leave from St Helier Hospital, Chitumbura managed to secure a job and then steal from East Surrey Hospital and Epsom Hospital.

After a tip-off from St Helier Hospital, police searched the nurses house to find a box containing 90 tablets of controlled Class B drugs and some pregnancy test kits.

Chitumbura claimed she had been prescribed the drugs for back pain at St Helier Hospital.

The nurse, who also goes by the name Caroline Nxumalo, was charged on August 16 this year.

As well as the theft charges, Chitumbura was charged with fraud and false representation, after providing false statements intended to gain employment. The nurse was given a nine month suspended sentence, 100 hours community service and a 12 month supervision order on Monday (November 14).