A DOCTOR from Bolton has seen his name cleared following a two-and-a-half year legal wrangle over an arrest.

Problems began for Dr Olajide Ogunjimi after police attended his home in June 2018 over an unspecified matter.

Dr Ogunjimi was said to be co-operative with two response officers at first, a fitness to practice hearing before the Medical Practitioners Tribunal Service (MPTS) was told.

But he walked upstairs to make a mobile phone call, partway through their discussions, which led to the situation escalating, the MPTS panel heard.

One of the officers asked him to end the call and when he failed to comply she went to handcuff him.

Dr Ogunjimi is said to have pulled his hand away and resisted, pulling on one of the officer's fingers, before he was incapacitated with a CS spray and arrested.

The doctor admitted all the elements surrounding the arrest - but insisted the officers had used 'unreasonable' and disproportionate force during his detention.

Terence Rigby, for the General Medical Council, said Dr Ogunjimi's actions, in resisting arrest, amounted to professional misconduct.

Philip Bown, counsel for Dr Ogunjimi, told the hearing his client's behaviour 'in the heat of the moment' while in pain and a state of shock, could be considered 'lawful and excusable'. he doctor was also not charged with any criminal offence in relation to his arrest.

Dismissing the misconduct allegations, MPTS panel chairman David McLean said while the officers acted reasonably until they reached the doctor's bedroom, their subsequent use of force could be regarded as "heavy-handed".

He added: "In reality, he was shocked and distressed by the events unfolding, and he reacted while he was in that state of shock. He was in a unique situation, which he had not been in before and is unlikely to be in again, and reacted in a way which, with the benefit of hindsight, he wishes he had not."

The three-strong panel also declined to issue a warning in the case of Dr Ogunjimi, who was a speciality trainee in acute medicine and a University of Central Lancs lecturer at the time.

"This was an isolated incident about which Dr Ogunjimi had expressed genuine regret and indicated that he would act differently in the future, and he has provided appropriate testimonials," added Mr McLean.