'Grim reaper' loses sacking case

A doctor who changed his name to James Bond and lied about appearing on Blind Date has lost his claim for unfair dismissal.

Sushant Varma was suspended as a house officer at Halton Hospital in Cheshire after bosses became concerned about his stories.

The 32-year-old, whose e-mail was grimreaper666@deathsdoor.com, described being involved in a number of heroic rescues including saving a woman from a burning car.

An employment tribunal in Liverpool described him as 'an irrepressible fantasist' and decided his employers had acted properly. He resigned from the hospital in May 2002. The doctor, from Sheffield, said he would appeal.