A nurse who complimented a patient on the size of his penis has been cleared of sexual assault but been sacked by Kingston Hospital.

William Logan, 49, of Cranes Park in Surbiton denied one count of sexual assault when he appeared at Kingston Crown Court on Tuesday.

The Kingston Hospital accident and emergency nurse had examined a young man in his 20s before taking off his gloves to pull back his foreskin and pinch the tip of his penis, the court heard.

The man had come into hospital after complaining about pain in his testicles on July 1, but told the court he became panicked when the nurse did not use gloves, made inappropriate comments and did not ask him to lie down during examination.

Mr Logan called the allegations “shocking” and “unbelievable”.

Taking to the stand he said: “I try to be a human being with thoughts and feelings and more like a friend.

“Maybe I came across too blokey for him.

“I may have touched him inadvertently – I thought I was just giving simple health advice for a patient to get to know their anatomy.

“He did not say ‘I am not happy with this.’ I do apologise for stress I have caused.”

The trial lasted two days before Mr Logan was acquitted.

Kingston Hospital said it had dismissed him in August last year following a disciplinary investigation.