Nine people have been charged with the abuse of patients with learning difficulties at a specialist hospital in County Durham. Six men and three women have been charged relating to alleged physical and psychological abuse at Whorlton Hall, an independent disability and autism hospital near Barnard Castle. The charges follow a long-running investigation by Durham constabulary, codenamed Operation Sarto, into allegations of abuse of patients at the hospital reported in a BBC Panorama documentary in 2019. Whorlton Hall was privately run but funded by the NHS. John Sanderson, 24, from Willington; Darren Lawton, 46, from Darlington; Niall Mellor, 24, from Bishop Auckland; Sara Banner, 31, from Newton Aycliffe; Matthew Banner, 41, from Newton Aycliffe; Ryan Fuller, 26, from Startforth; Sabah Mahmood, 26, from Kelloe; Peter Bennett, 52, from Darlington and Karen McGee, 53, from Darlington are all charged with one or more counts of ill treatment or wilful neglect of an individual by a care worker. The former staff will appear at Newton Aycliffe magistrates court on 9 November. Durham constabulary said: “Detectives investigating the case have worked through a significant amount of complex material relating to the patients who were cared for at the hospital and there has been detailed consultation with the Crown Prosecution Service. “From the outset of the investigation, the police have also worked closely with a range of safeguarding agencies to ensure that the patients were safely accommodated and receiving appropriate care. Professional support has been offered to patients and their families.”