AN OPTOMETRIST who was banned for making sexual comments towards a female customer and touching her inappropriately before offering her money to drop the case has been allowed to return to practising.

Stewart Clough, from Bolton, was suspended by the General Optical Council for 12 months in January last year after he told the woman she had a 'cracking figure' and found 'athletic bodies on women very attractive'.

After she reported him Mr Clough looked up the woman's address on confidential files and she received a hand-written letter in which he offered her a £1,000 bribe and a free pair of glasses to report the case.

The incident took place in December 2015 at Valuevision opticians in Swinton.

The GOC's fitness to practice committee held a determination of substantive review last month where it was found that Mr Clough's fitness to practice as an optometrist is no longer impaired.

The council was impressed by the oral evidence he gave and took into account positive testimonials and references.

The committee accepted Mr Clough had reacted to 'particular stressors' when he offered the money and he had now developed strategies to cope with them.

Mr Clough's brother, Martin Clough, owned Clough's Opticians in Newport Street, Bolton, and was jailed in September 2016 after admitting six counts of voyeurism at Bolton Crown Court in relation to secretly filming female customers at the business.

Stewart Clough left the family business in 2005 after a backlash to him standing as a BNP candidate in Bury Council elections.

The hearing heard how Mr Clough had maintained his skills and knowledge during the suspension.

A report on the hearing states: "The committee was satisfied that the wider public interest had been satisfied by the original finding of impairment and by the registrant's term of suspension."

It did not see it fit to take any further action on Mr Clough's registration and the suspension expired as planned.