Cash scam dentist is struck off

Heppleston claimed for work he had not carried out

A North Yorkshire dentist who fleeced the NHS in one of the largest frauds in the history of the health service has been struck off.

David Heppleston, 45, stole £450,000 and was jailed for four years at York Crown Court in 2006. His term was eventually cut to two-and-a-half years.

Heppleston, who ran a surgery in Scarborough, invented "ghost" patients and also claimed for fictitious work.

In 2002 he won £64,000 on the quiz show Who Wants to be a Millionaire.

This fraud diverted money from the treatment of patients and was a gross breach of trust General Dental Council

But now the General Dental Council has decided his offences were so grave that "erasing his name from the register" was the only appropriate sanction.

In a document outlining the council's view of Heppleston's offences officials said: "In determining the appropriate sanction the committee has considered all the options in turn, starting with the least serious.

"It decided that neither conclusion of the case nor postponing judgement would adequately reflect the gravity of the fraud.

"The committee considered and rejected suspension as being inadequate to protect the public interest.

"This fraud diverted money from the treatment of patients and was a gross breach of trust.

"It has therefore decided to direct the Registrar to erase the name of David Geoffrey Heppleston from the Dentists Register."

Heppleston can apply to be reinstated within a year.