AN investigation has been launched by police after patient records disappeared from the surgery of disgraced osteopath Stephen Milward.

Around 700 confidential patient records have vanished from the Atherton therapy centre. The man who has taken over the running of the surgery, Stephen Paine, claims that more than half of the records relate to his own patients.

Police are investigating the missing records and have been told they were taken from the surgery in Rosedale Avenue, formerly known as the Natural Therapy Clinic, on December 7 at 9.45pm, along with a computer, patient records and a blank pad of sick notes.

Stephen Milward was jailed for two-and-half years last November after being found guilty of 12 counts of indecent assault against male patients.

Mr Milward is still the owner of the Atherton property but the business was taken over by Mr Paine in 2002, when the investigation into the indecent assaults was launched.

Mr Paine was shocked to receive a call from a neighbour telling him someone was inside the surgery. The computer was taken before he arrived.

He said: "This has effectively put an end to my business in Atherton, from which I worked two days a week.

These notes are confidential and almost 400 of them are patients that only came to the practice after Mr Milward left.

"We have contacted as many patients as we can but there are hundreds who dont know about this.

"My patients are furious and at least four of them have complained to the police but none of us have heard anything from them."

A spokesman for Greater Manchester Police said: "GMP has received a complaint relating to patient records and investigations are continuing to determine ownership of these records."

Patients can call Mr Paine on 07966 202325.