A doctor has today been jailed for 15 months after he was convicted of forging prescriptions to obtain medication for a sleeping disorder.

Mustapha Tahir claimed the drug was for his sick mother, but a judge told him: "I reject this assertion and I am satisfied this was for financial gain by selling them on abroad.

"You put forward an utterly dishonest defence which suggested you had been framed by one or more of your partners. This was a persistent and dishonest course of conduct."

Maidstone Crown Court heard the 52-year-old GP, who practised at The Shrubbery surgery in Northfleet and Riverview Park surgery, twice handed over prescriptions for differing amounts of Modofinil worth a total of almost £2,000.

Each time, it had been purportedly written and signed by one of his former colleagues - Dr Bayonle Bello - and in the names of two patients at the surgeries.

But one of the names had been misspelt while the other was not a patient of Dr Bello's.

After staff at The Shrubbery were alerted by a concerned pharmacist, it was discovered a prescription pad belonging to Dr Bello had gone missing from a locked cabinet.

One was later found at Tahir's home in Wentworth Close, Gravesend, as well as 97 Modofinil tablets.

He told police the allegations had stemmed from "animosity" between him and former colleagues following the termination of his partnership earlier that year and subsequent litigation.

Tahir denied two charges of using a false instrument with intent on July 25 last year, but was convicted by a jury.

He presented a prescription at each of two branches of Boots in London within hours of each other.

One was for 180 Modofinil tablets at a strength of 100mlg worth £900 and the second was also for 180 tablets at 200mlg strength worth £1,000.

Prosecutor Suzanne Crane said the drug was often used to treat sleep disorders and help people stay awake.

Tahir had joined the practice in 2002 and was one of six partners. He was suspended from both surgeries in August 2011 following complaints about his professional conduct.

His partnership was terminated in February 2012.

Judge Martin Joy told Tahir the offences were "a complete breach of trust placed in doctors by the NHS and the public".