DO erased at FTP hearing

A dispensing optician convicted of theft has been erased from the General Optical Council (GOC) register after a panel ruled his fitness to practise was impaired.

Graham Moore, a former store manager at Specsavers in Margate, Kent, issued fraudulent cash refunds to the total of £1,413.10 on 17 separate occasions over a period of nearly six months.

Suspicion was aroused as a result of irregular refund activity on the automated till systems in place and as a result, the loss prevention department at Specsavers installed three covert CCTV cameras at the practice to monitor activity. Moore issued a series of refunds and the camera footage showed that no customer was present. Loss prevention staff confronted Moore, who immediately admitted the offence and was dismissed shortly after. He was convicted on July 16 2010 at Margate Magistrates Court and sentenced to 200 hours of community service.