Murder-suspect hospital nurse freed on bail

Victorino Chua was arrested on suspicion of tampering with medical records at the hospital in Stockport and was further arrested on suspicion of three counts of murder and 18 counts of causing grievous bodily harm.

He was bailed in relation to all matters until an unconfirmed date in April pending further inquiries, Greater Manchester Police said.

Detectives are investigating the poisoning of patients at the hospital last summer.

Detectives had already been given extra time to question Mr Chua and obtained another warrant of further detention.

The suspect was being questioned over the contamination of saline drips in June and July last year, causing patients’ blood sugar to fall in “hypoglycaemic episodes”.

Tracey Arden, Arnold Lancaster and Derek Weaver died shortly after experiencing such episodes.

All the deaths took place on wards A1, A2 or A3 – acute care wards caring for seriously ill patients.

Officers are also looking into a fourth death which followed the alleged poisoning of William Dickson, 82, of Cheadle Hulme, Cheshire.