A TEETH whitening practitioner operating illegally in Royal Wootton Bassett has been exposed in an undercover BBC sting.

Journalists used hidden cameras to reveal how a man with an existing conviction for illegal teeth whitening was still carrying out the procedure from a treatment room he was hiring at the Natural Health Clinic on the High Street.

Jason Edworthy was prosecuted in 2014 for ‘unlawfully practicing dentistry’ when a customer raised the alarm after suffering serious burns to her gums.

He was fined £250 and ordered to pay costs of nearly £1,000 for operating out of clinics in Hemel Hempstead and Middlesex.

Despite this, the team from the BBC’s Inside Out West were able to book an appointment with him through LA Teeth Whitening, a company which describes its treatment as ‘fast, safe, guaranteed and affordable.’

They found Edworthy had set up shop inside the Royal Wootton Bassett clinic and after filming him on two separate occasions they confronted him about his illegal activity, he refused to answer their questions and pushed them out onto the street.

The LA Teeth Whitening website has now been taken down and their phone lines appear to be disconnected following the programme, which was screened on Monday night.

The Natural Health Clinic offers a range of treatments including colon hydrotherapy, cold laser therapy and reflexology, Edworthy had rented a treatment room from them.

The clinic's website claims ‘our practitioners are very experienced, highly trained and fully registered. We strive to ensure that you receive first class treatments and only use approved and known alternative health products.’

Owner Julie Baker said: "After 20 years of being well established this is awful, it's tragic for us because I hardly ever saw the chap.

"We didn't advertise teeth whitening and we didn't take his bookings."

When she was asked whether it was her responsibility to verify the credentials of those operating out of her clinic, Julie said: "They're not employed by me so it's not for me to check their qualifications."

Because of the potential for things to go wrong, only dental practitioners registered with the General Dental Council are legally allowed to perform teeth whitening, those who are prosecuted can face fines of up to £5,000.

Francesca Keen, of the General Dental Council, said: "We welcome the work of Inside Out in highlighting the dangers of illegal tooth whitening.

"The primary function of the General Dental Council is to protect the public. Only dentists and dental care professionals who are on our register can carry out tooth whitening.

“People often claim to have received training or completed a qualification, but you should always look on our website to check if the person is registered before you consider having tooth whitening.

“We rely on information from the public to let us know if people are carrying out tooth whitening illegally.

"We take every allegation of illegal practice very seriously and consider each and every complaint received.

"If you are carrying out tooth whitening illegally, we can and do take action – which includes criminal prosecutions.”