Pathologist could be struck off

THE pathologist who first ruled Ian Tomlinson died from natural causes faces disciplinary proceedings and could be struck off within months.

Dr Freddy Patel is accused by the General Medical Council of bungling four other post-mortem examinations between September 2002 and January 2005.

He has been suspended from the Home Office register of forensic pathologists and barred from examining others who have died suspiciously.

The GMC hearing focuses on his actions during post mortems on four bodies, including a four-week-old baby, a five-year-old girl and two women. He is accused of giving questionable verdicts on the causes of deaths, several of which later turned out to be suspicious.

A detailed document released by the Crown Prosecution Service yesterday revealed further questions were raised over his examination of Mr Tomlinson.