Peter Hartley was found guilty of a serious breach of the code of professional conduct by the Nursing and Midwifery Council's Conduct and Competence Panel in London.

The panel was told Hartley, a registered mental health nurse, had been convicted of assault by beating and using threatening, abusive or insulting words or behaviour by a court in November, 2006.

He was said to have been one of a group of men who went looking for a man they believed was responsible for assaulting his daughter.

Hartley climbed in to the man's home through a broken window and let his colleagues in. He then punched the man in the face, knocking him to the ground and other men punched and kicked the victim, the hearing was told.

The group then went on to another address where they thought the man might be and threw a brick at a window.

The panel said: "Hartley's conduct, fuelled by use of alcohol, albeit away from professional practice, is a serious breach of the code and we are satisfied his fitness to practice is impaired today.

"The registrant's behaviour and lack of control impacts, in our view, directly on his ability to practise in the profession. This was a most serious case of vigilante action by an alcohol-fuelled group causing serious injury to a particularly vulnerable and entirely innocent victim.

"The registrant showed complete lack of control and judgment in his actions and in our view does not appreciate the seriousness of such conduct. It is a most serious departure from the relevant standards, as set out in the code of professional conduct.

"Further, in a case of this seriousness, we are of the firm view that confidence in the council would be undermined if the person is not struck off. The registrant's conduct is fundamentally incompatible with being a registered nurse."

Hartley was given the opportunity to appear at the hearing but declined owing to family and financial constraints. He was said to have been ashamed of his conduct and deeply regretted his actions.

We have been asked to point out that disabled state enrolled nurse Peter Hartley, of Hall Street, Colne, is no way connected with this case.