A man has been charged with the murder of a nurse at a private mental hospital in Croydon.

NT

A man has been charged with the murder of a nurse at a private mental hospital in Croydon.

Patrick Clarke, 68, was stabbed while on duty at Southleigh Community Hospital in Brighton Road, South Croydon, on 12 May.

The Metropolitan Police said in a statement that Jimmy Jedson, 40, of Brighton Road, was charged on Saturday with the murder of Mr Clarke, who was semi-retired.

Mr Jedson, thought to be a patient at the hospital, was due to appear in custody at Bromley Magistrates’ Court today.

At the time of the incident, spokesman for the hospital said: “We are greatly saddened to confirm that a member of staff lost his life yesterday following an incident in the hospital.

“Our deepest sympathies are with his family, friends and colleagues,” he said. “He was a valued and respected member of staff who will be deeply missed.”

He added: “We cannot say more as we are working closely with the police on their ongoing investigation into this incident.”

Southleigh is a 25-bed community-based independent hospital that provides assertive rehabilitation for male and female service users with complex mental health needs.

It comprises 19 single ensuite bedrooms and six semi-independent apartments.

The hospital is owned by Inmind Healthcare Group, which provides care for around 200 patients with complex mental health, personality disorder and physical health needs.

It also runs services based in London, Leicester, Leeds, Birmingham and Lincoln.