A CONVICTED fraudster has quit within days of being appointed to the Burnley Health Care Trust.

Management consultant Arshid Khatana, of Massey House, Massey Lane, Brierfield, was called to meet hospital trust chairman Brian Foster after complaints were made about the £5,000 non-executive directorship.

Mr Khatana was jailed for four months last year at Burnley Crown Court after admitting two counts of attempting to obtain property by deception by using false information to get a £52,000 mortgage from two different building societies.

Mr Foster said: "I pointed out certain requirements to becoming a director of a Trust and that a previous offence debarred him from serving as a director.

"He said he did not know of these requirements and resigned his position. It was a relatively short meeting."

The appointment was approved by Health Secretary Frank Dobson in a massive switch of personnel on the trust board.

Also appointed were former nurse Pat Steel, of Burnley; the leader of Burnley Council, Labour councillor Kath Reade and Pendle Labour Party worker Alan McAnulty, of Trawden.

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