A NURSING assistant has been suspended from an East Lancashire mental hospital after sending "vile and abusive" text messages to a colleague.

Julie Hodgkinson, who works at Calderstones Hospital, Whalley, was cautioned by police after admitting sending 21 messages between April and August. The

49-year-old, of Revidge Road, Blackburn, was suspended on full pay by the Calderstones NHS Trust, which has launched an investigation into the incidents.

Today the victim, a 46-year-old woman from Burnley, said the messages had made her life hell.

She took sick leave before eventually resigning from her post as a staff nurse.

She added: "It has been absolutely devastating and has led to so much upset."

The woman, who had worked at the hospital for 13 years, said the messages were "gross and disgusting."

She said: "Some nights I would get up to six messages and then there was a month when I didn't get any and I thought it had come to an end. But then it started again."

Inspector Martin Hall, of Burnley Police, said: "Julie Hodgkinson was arrested on September 26 and received an adult caution for an offence of harassment against section two of the Harassment Act 1997."

He said Hodgkinson "pursued a course of conduct which amounted to harassment" which was through 21 "vile and abusive" text messages.

Inspector Hall said: "The messages were sent with a phone number attached. The number was found to be discontinued but the Malicious Calls Bureau made some enquiries to trace it."

Graham Jowett, director of corporate strategy at Calderstones NHS Trust said: "We can confirm that following a complaint to the Trust a member of staff has been suspended from duty on full pay and an investigation is currently underway.

"This is a neutral act in accordance with our procedures. It would be inappropriate to make any further comments at this time."

Anne Ormerod, chairman of health workers union Unison, said the Trust "absolutely takes allegations of harassment seriously."

She said: "The Trust has a host of policies and procedures around harassment and the Calderstones branch of Unison fully endorses those policies and procedures."

The trust is based at Calderstones hospital in MItton Road and employs about 1,400 people.

It provides services for people with learning disabilities from throughout the North West, both at the site and in the community.

Hodgkinson declined to comment.