A NORTH Yorkshire gynaecologist accused of botching operations has insisted he is innocent.

Richard Neale told the General Medical Council's professional conduct committee he was sorry for any mistakes which might have been made during his operations at The Friarage Hospital, in Northallerton, and St Mary's Hospital in Newport, Isle of Wight.

However, he claimed he had done his best and that he had been performing pioneering surgery on women with major gynaecological problems in this country, having learned much of his skills while working in Canada.

Neale, a father-of-four, of The First, Langthorpe, near Boroughbridge, was giving evidence at a resumed hearing in London, where he is accused of botching operations on a variety of women, leaving them with permanent physical and mental scars. He admits failing to perform a pre-operative X-ray or a post-operative mammogram on 'Mrs A' to ensure that an area of calcification had been removed.

But he denies a series of allegations made by other women of negligence and incompetence during operations between 1986 and April 1996.

He also denies making false claims about his qualifications while applying to become an assessor of performance procedure for doctors in an application - originally successful - for a post as an examiner of doctors' competence.

The hearing was adjourned until a week on Monday.