A DENTIST who defrauded the NHS out of thousands of pounds was struck off yesterday.

Claude Stephen Kelfkens, and his boss Mogjan Azari defrauded £40,700 from the NHS.

Working from Azari's clinics, Kelfkens claimed precious metal fillings from the NHS including gold, when he had only fitted the patients with cheaper, non-precious metal filings.

He and Azari then split the resulting £18,124 profit between them.

Kelfkens was struck off at a hearing at the General Dental Council (GDC) in Wimpole Street, London, yesterday.

Philip Kolvin, for the General Dental Council (GDC) said: "This was systematic overpayment by Mr Kelfkens from the NHS.

"It's not in dispute that there was over claiming, it's also not in dispute that the over claiming was inappropriate and that it misled the NHS."

Azari, 41, of Oakwood Avenue, Beckenham, was jailed for a year and struck off the register in January 2005 after admitting four charges of obtaining money by deception.

She had allowed bogus dentist Omid Amidi-Mazaheri, an asylum seeker and also her lover, to treat more than 500 patients at her Tulse Hill and Norbury practices.

He left patients in agony and over charged for his work, the hearing heard.

Detectives launched Operation Immanuel in 2003 after learning bogus claims for treatment were being filed from Azari's south London clinics, in London Road, Norbury, Tulse Hill, Brixton and Brownhill Road, Catford.

Kelfkens was arrested following a raid on the Catford practice in April 2005.

Mr Kolvin said: "After 55 minutes of police questioning, there was a frank admission from Kelfkens."

Kelfkens admitted obtaining a money transfer by deception to deceive the NHS and was formally cautioned.

The 47-year-old, of Uplands Close, Sevenoaks, has since paid back the defrauded cash plus costs of the investigation, amounting to a total of £60,000.

Kelfkens, who did not attend the hearing, admitted a series of allegations against him relating to the false precious metal claims made in respect of 168 patients.

He admitted his actions were inappropriate but denied they were misleading or dishonest.

Committee chairman Margaret Gray said the GDC was satisfied the charges had been proved and found Kelfkens guilty of professional misconduct.

She said: "The committee was disappointed he has not expressed regret for the damage resulting from his actions to his profession, to the public and to the patients.

"He appears to lack insight into the seriousness of the offences. The committee has determined that erasure is the appropriate sanction in this case."