A plumber managed to trick a hospital into believing he was a qualified gynaecologist, allowing him to carry out a number of examinations on females, including at least one child.

According to Russian media, it took bosses at the hospital 'several days' to discover that the new medic held plumbing qualifications and had previously been in prison for theft.

The 31-year-old from Pervouralsk, named as Anton Yarin, is reported to have arrived at the hospital saying he was applying for a job as a plumber, but once there changed into a white coat and began introducing himself to different people as gynaecologist, a surgeon and an A&E medic.

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One newspaper reported that, 'he wandered around the hospital with impunity pretending to be a qualified doctor.'

Nikolay Shaydurov, head doctor of Pervouralsk city hospital said the man had previously been at the hospital as a patient.

He said: "He knows the hospital well and knows the names of many of our doctors.

"He was very confident. We believed he was a new doctor."

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Credit: East2West

The hospital has not disclosed what happened while patients with him in a treatment room - or if he carried out 'intimate' examinations on anyone.

Police are now investigating the incident after the hospital made a complaint. However, according to one newspaper, the man hadn't been detained.

In the US last year, a man was sentenced to three and a half years for pretending to be a doctor and stealing from a patient.

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Twenty-year-old Malachi Love-Robinson was arrested for practicing medicine without a licence after cops found him working out of an office complete with lab coat and stethoscope.

An undercover officer visited his office complaining of sneezing and a sore throat - Love-Robinson took the cop's temperature and listened to their heart and lungs before telling her she had allergies and needed over-the-counter medication.

He was also charged with, and pled guilty to, stealing $35,000 (£24,500) from an elderly patient.

Credit: PA

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