A PARAMEDIC once commended for his bravery has been struck off after he was found with indecent images of children.

A panel from the Health and Care Professions Tribunal Service (HCPTS) found that David Willey, of Stickley Court, Faringdon, was not fit to practice because of a recent conviction.

Willey, who had been employed as a paramedic by South Central Ambulance Service, admitted one count of having prohibited images of children and two counts of making indecent photographs of children, and was sentenced to a 24-month community order at Oxford Crown Court in August 2018.

Police first raided his home on May 18, 2017 and he was arrested.

Notes from yesterday's tribunal say that, upon his arrest, Willey told police: "When I was looking at adult porn, there were a lot of pop-ups. I couldn’t stop."

In July last year he was charged with possession of five 'prohibited' images of children (likely to be types of cartoon-based CGI – non-photographic images, according to the HCPTS background file).

A second charge alleged that he made 11 category A indecent photographs or pseudo-photographs of a child. The third charge alleged that he made 35 category B and 68 category C indecent photographs or pseudo-photographs of a child.

As a result of his arrest, Willey tendered his resignation to the ambulance service.

He will now be barred from holding the same role in the future.

The tribunal panel said it the purpose of the hearing "is not to punish the Registrant for his convictions but to protect the public against the acts and omissions of those who are not fit to practise".

It said Willey had 'taken steps to remedy the behaviour that led to his convictions', but said 'the risk of repetition remains at this time'.

It's findings stated: "The Panel notes that until August 2023, the Registrant will be subject to a SHPO and be required to remain on the Sex Offenders’ Register.

"The Panel has no doubt that an informed member of the public would be shocked and would consider that public confidence in the Paramedic profession and in its regulatory process would be undermined if there was no finding of impairment in this case at this time.

"The Panel also takes the view that it would be failing in its duty to declare and uphold proper standards of conduct and behaviour in the Paramedic profession if it did not find impairment in this case. Paramedics should be in no doubt that this sort of behaviour is unacceptable."

In 2007, Willey received a Thames Valley Police chief constable's award for bravery after he intervened when robbers attempted to mug a charity shop worker in East Oxford the year before.

Willey, then 30, told the Oxford Mail at the time: "I saw the lady getting mugged and went to intervene. I tried to creep up on him unawares, but unfortunately he saw me, so I went after him.

"In my job I see so many occasions where people are attacked and the muggers run off and nobody gets to track them down, so I thought it was important to do something."

Sara Thornton, then chief constable at Thames Valley Police, said: "It's really great to recognise public-spirited acts by members of the public. The four men we have recognised today got involved when they didn't have to, when others stood or watched."