A care worker was sacked after feeding dog biscuits to a dementia patient at a residential home.

The woman assistant gave the elderly man, who is thought to be in his 80s, the dog biscuits at Kirknowe home in Wishaw, Lanarkshire.

Managers at the facility, which is owned by private healthcare firm BUPA, dismissed the worker after learning of the incident.

The biscuits are produced to meet the dietary needs of canines and are not suitable for human consumption.

BUPA confirmed it had sacked the unnamed employee and condemned her actions. It also insisted it was an isolated incident.

Kenny Valentine, Bupa care services director, Scotland, said: “This was a very unfortunate but isolated incident that took place last year during a therapy session involving a dog. We immediately launched an investigation and the member of staff was dismissed. We apologised to residents and their relatives at the time.”

A BUPA spokeswoman added: “We referred the incident to the local authority safeguarding team at the time and they decided not to refer it to the police.”

However, North Lanarkshire Council said it had no involvement with the case and a spokeswoman pointed out that the privately-run home was regulated by an external agency.

The incident took place in September 2011.