A nurse from Cricklewood who pleasured himself on a train in front of a mother and daughter has escaped being struck off but has been suspended.

Stanley Mfananjalo Sibandze, of Cricklewood Broadway, faced being booted out of his profession after he was convicted of exposure in January.

He carried out the solo act on a train in Croydon in November 2013.

He was given a community order and sentenced to 100 hours of unpaid work.

This week a panel at the Nursing & Midwifery Council (NMC) heard the 39-year-old claimed he had an infection that causes spasms in his genitals and he was rubbing the area to alleviate the symptoms.

He had placed a newspaper over his groin area and denied he had exposed himself or carried out the solo act.

The panel heard Sibandze had worked as a nurse for over 10 years and there had been no similar incidents in the past.

The panel ruled that he did not pose a risk of harm to patients so would not be struck off but suspended from his profession for nine months.

Sibandze was working as a bank nurse with St George’s healthcare NHT Trust at the time of the incident.