A JOURNALIST has told a medical hearing how Lancashire Evening Telegraph reporters went under cover to expose a doctor running an illegal slimming clinic.

Amy Binns, formerly the paper's health reporter, went to the County Hotel, Blackburn, to see Sudesh Madan after being told that the physician was giving a drug designed for obese people to those who simply wanted to lose weight. Miss Binns told the General Medical Council's professional conduct committee she had arranged to attend separately with another reporter, Victoria Eglington, as "different types of patients."

Dr Madan, of Briars Close, Rainhill, Prescott, Merseyside, who ran a clinic at Chesters Hairdressers, Lovely Lane, Warrington, admits selling Duromine tablets to five patients who were not obese, knowing this was not recommended.

However, she denies knowing that one of the patients she had allegedly irresponsibly supplied to had epilepsy and another had high blood pressure, when in both cases it should not have been given.

Her husband, Surendra Narain Raizada, admits selling the tablets from a car boot but says he did not know a girl who bought some was only 15-years-old and underweight. He also admits supplying a woman who was not obese.

The incidents allegedly occurred between November 1998 and October last year at various places including the County Hotel, a hairdressers at Bumbay Shops in Stanney, a beauty parlour at Vale Road, Rhyl and Beautiful Nails, Lower Bridge Street, Chester.

The pair deny prescribing irresponsibly without clinical justification and not in the interests of the patients. They also deny allegations relating to adequate patient consultations, such as sufficient examinations and advice.

Dr Madan also denies allowing her son to sit in on one consultation and arranging for her husband to take her clinic, knowing he had insufficient training or experience.

She has run the Look Right clinic throughout the North West in hotels and beauty salons including Chester, Crewe, Rochdale, Oldham., Huddersfield, Merseyside, Swinton and Runcorn.

She works for the St Helens and Knowsley Community Health NH Trust as a clinical medical officer for the child health service.

Giving evidence, Miss Binns said she attended the Look Right clinic on April 26 last year at the hotel and went upstairs to a lobby area with sofas.

She said she wrote down a false name and address, telephone number and occupation and handed over the forms. "I waited almost 40 minutes. I saw other people waiting to go to see the doctor."

She described the length of time most people were with the doctor as "a few minutes" although sometimes two or three went in at a time and she didn't know whether all were seeking a consultation.

Inside the doctor's office she said there was a tub the size of a yogurt pot which contained tablets and a box on the floor. "I went in, sat down, was told to take off my shoes and jacket and be weighed and that happened. I was wearing a very loose dress. I'd put half a stone of lead weights into my pockets because I wanted to weigh more than my normal weight. "

Dr Madan said she could take away the reporter's appetite and raise her anabolic rate and took hold of a plastic bottle, handing over the container full of tablets -- half red and half grey-green.

The doctor did not say anything about telling her GP. Miss Binns handed over £20 cash, was told "not to eat between meals, not to gobble and be a good girl."

On May 10, when she returned "even more people" were waiting and when she saw the doctor it was for even less time than before. Miss Binns paid £20 for another two weeks supply.

Miss Binns had removed three pounds of the weights and asked whether it might be possible to obtain a greater supply than the two weeks she had been given and was told it was possible to get "up to six weeks."

The hearing continues.