A PARAMEDIC who made an injured 17-year-old rugby player walk to an ambulance during a game at Nantwich's Reaseheath College has been struck off.

Kenneth Chaloner, 54, of 27 Needham Close, Runcorn, was found guilty in his absence by the Paramedics Disciplinary Committee sitting at the Health Professions Council in South East London.

It was alleged that while in the employ of the Mersey Regional Ambulance NHS Trust that on November 7, 2002, whilst in attendance on a patient at the college he failed to appropriate a level of care by failing to apply a cervical collar and a spinal board to a patient complaining of serious neck injury.

Mr Mark Fenalls, representing the council said the 17 year old boy known only as RC was injured while playing rugby and complained of pins and needles.

When the ambulance arrived Mr Chaloner found the field was muddy with an embankment and the ambulance could not get near.

When he attended the injured boy Mr Chaloner not only did not apply a cervical collar but made the young man walk to the ambulance.

When he arrived at hospital his neck was immobilised and he spent a week in traction before having an open operation where bone was taken from his hip to fuse a bone in his neck.

Mr Chaloner was not present but has 28 days to appeal at his striking off.

Committee chairman Gordon Sutehall said: "Your failure to apply a cervical collar and spinal board amounted to a serious falling short of the standards to be expected of a competent paramedic."