A DOCTOR who sold powerful anti-obesity pills to healthy men and women has been struck off the medical register after an investigation by the Lancashire Evening Telegraph.

Dr Sudesh Madan and her husband Surendra Raizada were both found guilty of serious professional misconduct by the General Medical Council in London yesterday. It decided that Dr Madan's case was so serious that it had no alternative but to strike her off the medical register. Her husband received a reprimand after the committee told him it was satisfied his offences were isolated.

The committee decided the striking-off should have immediate effect for the safety of the public, pending a 28-day appeal period.

The offences came to light when Lancashire Evening Telegraph reporters Amy Binns and Victoria Eglington, posing as customers, went undercover to her clinic at the County Hotel, Blackburn, in April and May last year. One put lead weights in her pockets to give the impression she was much heavier, and the other suffers from epilepsy, which Dr Madan failed to check.

Dr Madan, who ran clinics selling the drug Duramine across the North West, including Blackburn, swayed backwards as committee chairman professor Michael Whitehouse told her she had encouraged "customers" with sensational adverts in local papers promising "the latest revolutionary slimming tablets."

She admitted serious professional misconduct after more than 100 cases against her were found proved

This, combined with the settings of her clinics with patients queuing in a pressurised environment to buy drugs, was entirely inappropriate and she had put her patients at risk, the hearing was told.

Mr Whitehouse added that the GMC's publication, Good Medical Practice, highlighted the responsibility of doctors in providing good clinical care, maintaining good medical practice, performance and trust and not abusing his or her professional position.

He said: "You advertised as a 'highly qualified female doctor trained in diet and weight control' and held your clinics in the back rooms of hairdressers and beauty salons. The settings for your clinics were inappropriate."

He added that her prescribing was irresponsible, not clinically justified and not in the best interest of patients.

Dr Madan was found guilty of gross departure from professional standards over a long period. Her husband Dr Raizada was told his behaviour had been "irresponsible, not clinically justified and not in the best interests of patients," especially in the case of Mrs Jill Williams, a professional standards officer for the Royal Pharmaceutical Society, who was sold the controversial slimming drug Duramine at a clinic in Warrington after posing as patient in November 1998.

He had also sold Duramine to 15-year-old Kate Hampson from the boot of his car without taking an adequate clinical history, examining her or discussing diet and exercise.

The committee was satisfied he did not pose any danger to the public or his patients.