A SENIOR support worker at an Islington nursing home has been jailed for defrauding the NHS of nearly �180,000.

Ike Agukwe Johnson, 42, started as a care worker at Stacey Street Nursing Home, off Isledon Road, Holloway, in 2003 after he tendered a false Home Office “No Time Limit” stamp in his Nigerian passport,

In fact, Johnson had no entitlement to work because he had no settled status in this country. He is believed to have arrived illegally via France from Nigeria. He repeated the deception in 2008, which helped secure him a promotion at the same nursing home.

He was arrested on November 16 at his workplace and later interviewed under caution by NHS Counter Fraud Service officers.

In total, his deception cost the Camden and Islington NHS Foundation Trust �179,142.32 in salary payments, bank work earnings and other costs.

Johnson of Kingsland Road, Plaistow, pleaded guilty to obtaining a pecuniary advantage by deception, use of a false instrument and possession of identity documents contrary to the Identity Cards Act 2006.

On December 21 at Blackfriars Crown Court, he was sentenced to twelve months’ imprisonment.

Kevin Cane, London operational fraud manager at NHS Counter Fraud Service, said: “This goes to show that fraudsters’ crimes will eventually catch up with them. We will follow up any suspicion of fraud against the NHS and investigate wherever appropriate, pressing for prosecution and the strongest sanctions against offenders. This sort of outcome deters others from doing the same.”