A NURSE turned loan shark made almost £75,000 by lending money to other hospital staff, a court was told.

Over five years Mary Lou Gonzales, 43, pictured right, loaned out up to £4,000 a time to colleagues at Southampton General Hospital, charging interest rates of between five and 25 per cent.

She worked in the neurology department of the hospital when she lent money to other Filipino health workers, Southampton Crown Court was told.

She was caught when an anonymous tip-off was made to a confidential loan shark hotline.

Officers from the England Illegal Money Lending Team and Southampton City Council raided her home and found stashed documents relating to her illegal lending.

It emerged she would lend between £500 and £4,000 at a time to “30 to 60 people”.

Adaku Oragwu, prosecuting, said: “All were members of the Filipino community who had learned of her as someone who was able to lend money.

“Each witness said that had taken out multiple loans over the years.”

Investigators believe she loaned about £51,000 and made tens of thousands of pounds in interest, although the court heard most were at an interest rate of five per cent.

Gonzales, of Vine Road, Shirley Warren, pleaded guilty to illegal money lending. The court heard how she continues to be employed at the hospital pending the outcome of the court case and any disciplinary action that could be taken.

In mitigation, Mark Sullivan said she was helping other members of her community when required.

He added she never took any |steps to enforce repayment or put undue pressure on any of the borrowers.

It was said that the lending of money was common practice in the Filipino community and colleagues used the cash to pay for medical bills and travel expenses for those back home.

Judge Gary Burrell handed out a 12-month community order plus 150 hours’ unpaid community work.

Clive Robinson, left, from Southampton Trading Standards, said: “We work closely with the Illegal Money Lending Team to protect residents from loan sharks. This conviction is the latest in a long line of successes for the team. Gonzales has been lending money illegally for some years, charging high rates of interest and not providing the proper documents so that debtors knew how much they had to pay.”