A first-aid officer has been banned for life for posing as a paramedic for three years and attending at least one accident with his mock ambulance.

The NSW Health Care Complaints Commission (HCCC) launched an investigation into John Robert Cook, who has never been registered as a paramedic, after learning he had been seen wearing a fake NSW Ambulance uniform.

He was also observed driving a Nissan Patrol marked with ‘Paramedic’, ‘Medical Response Unit’, and ‘Ambulance’ insignias, with the mock ambulance realistic enough to convince the public it was a legitimate ambulance.

Last week, the HCCC banned him for life from providing health services, both paid and voluntary, warning he remained unrepentant and a risk to public health and safety.