A nurse at a care home allegedly left an elderly patient locked in their room for more than eight hours.

Lindiwe Malape faces being struck off after the incident came to light at Fairfield Care Home in Inverness in 2014.

Watchdog the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) then launched an investigation and Malape has now been charged and will face a disciplinary hearing this month. If the misconduct panel rule against her she could be struck off.

She allegedly left the elderly resident at the home locked in their room overnight for eight and a half hours on June 6, 2014. It is also claimed that she failed to contact a manager or locksmith to assist with the incident.

The charge she faces claims: "That you did not take appropriate action to attempt to release Resident A who was locked in a bedroom between approximately 12am and 8.30am in that you did not escalate the incident to the manager and/or owner; (b) Did not call out the handyman; (c) Did not call out a locksmith/carpenter; (d) Did not call the emergency services.

"And in light of the above, your fitness to practise is impaired by reason of your misconduct."