An optician who sold items from the Enfield practice he managed on the auction website eBay was struck off this week by the General Optical Council at a fitness to practise hearing in London.
Darren Reece Bedford has also received a police caution for theft. Other complaints against him were that he dispensed contact lenses and spectacles when he was not registered and supervised a trainee, again when unregistered.
Striking him off committee chair Margaret Hallendorff said: 'Mr Bedford's dishonesty, leaving aside the breach of trust which is obviously serious, is so serious that it is inconsistent in the committee's view with continued registration.'
She added that the other matters 'amounted to serious misconduct for which there is no effective mitigation'.
Jamie Foster for the GOC told the hearing that Bedford had managed Ronald Brown Opticians at Enfield, from December 1, 2001 until his dismissal on February 25, 2005.
Foster, reading from various witness statements, said the GOC registrar had confirmed that Bedford was not registered between April 28 2003 to February 24 2005, as a result of non-payment of the registration fee.
Director of Ronald Brown Opticians, Geoff Brace, said Bedford had been obliged to keep his registration up to date and hadn't informed him that it had lapsed.
Records provided by the Enfield Primary Care Trust showed that Bedford had dispensed spectacles and contact lenses to under-16s and adults, said Foster. And he added the trainee, who is now qualified, also confirmed he had supervised her during this period.
Foster told how Det Con Darren Powell had arrested Bedford on May 16 2005, interviewed him at Edmonton Police Station for theft from his employer which had involved sunglasses and other items.
Mavis Healey, human resources director for Ronald Brown, said that Bedford had set up eBay accounts and sold items but, when the matter was raised with him, sent a £3,097.92 cheque to the firm to compensate.
Bedford told the hearing in evidence that he was not aware he had lapsed his registration and believed he had set up a direct debit.
However, he said he had been going through a divorce and moved accommodation, leaving him without a fixed address and without post being passed on to him so may not have received reminders to pay.
Bedford added he had been going through a 'bitter and emotional divorce' with a young family and 'made mistakes'. However, he said it had not affected his 'professionalism to his patients'.
Bedford is currently working for Specsavers in Hemel Hempstead in a non-professional role.