A Consultant who was sacked then reinstated by a North Yorkshire hospital has now been cleared of any wrongdoing following a second inquiry into his conduct.

Neil Hebblethwaite was reinstated to his post as an obstetrician and gynaecologist at the Friarage Hospital in Northallerton in April, after being dismissed over allegations that he had an affair with a woman patient.

He was given a final written warning and will be taken before the professional conduct committee of the General Medical Council (GMC) later this year. His dismissal in October followed a complaint from a patient.

Today chiefs at the Northallerton Health Services NHS Trust confirmed that a second investigation was launched at the end of April after it came to light that Mr Hebblethwaite had worked as a locum at Halifax General Infirmary and a hospital in Warwick.

Trust chief executive Bruce Skilbeck said the inquiry was to establish whether Mr Hebblethwaite had been paid for the locum work in January while he was still on full pay pending an appeal against his dismissal.

He said today that it had been decided not to proceed with the investigations after it emerged that the consultant had not been paid for the work.

Mr Hebblethwaite remains suspended pending the GMC hearing into the first set of allegations.

The consultant's original dismissal came just two months after disgraced gynaecologist Richard Neale, who also practised at the Friarage, was struck off by the GMC after being found guilty of 34 counts of serious professional misconduct.

Updated: 11:12 Tuesday, June 12, 2001