A doctor gave a woman banned slimming pills that caused her chest pains then offered her cash when she complained, a hearing was told yesterday.

Dr Michael Sheill handed the patient £52 and said "I hope we can be friends"

after inappropriately prescribing her the weight loss drugs, the General Medical Council (GMC) was told.

Dr Sheill, of Cambridge Court, Hastings, had initially offered the woman, referred to as KL, further prescriptions of banned Phentermine by way of an apology, it is said. The slimming drug had been withdrawn following claims it causes high blood pressure and heart valve disorders.

The Dublin-trained doctor allegedly called KL at home saying he could lose his practice because of her complaint.

Dr Sheill also ignored orders from the Healthcare Commission not to hand out weight-loss pills to clients until his surgeries had been registered, it is claimed.

He offered fee-paying patients a range of treatments including Botox and Viagra at his clinics in Hastings, Crawley, Tunbridge Wells and Ashford in Kent.

The GMC heard police had to be called to an inspection of his Ashford clinic when he tried to obstruct Commission staff. He shredded documents and reduced inspector Nicole Keene to tears with his rude and aggressive behaviour.

Dr Sheill was first told to register his four clinics in 2002. A year later the inspectors ordered Dr Sheill to stop treating patients until he had registered.

Heather Norton, for the GMC, said KL had been treated by Dr Sheill in Ashford in 2003. He twice prescribed her the appetite suppressant Tenuate Dospan and in January 2004 he prescribed her with two weeks of Phentermine.

But he failed to take an adequate history or examine her, and his prescribing was outside the licensed use of the drugs. In February 2004 KL complained of chest pain to an out-of-hours doctor, who wrote to Dr Sheill three times asking for an explanation.

Dr Sheill denies his treatment was inappropriate and irresponsible. He denies his response to complaints was inadequate, inappropriate and unprofessional.

He also denies he was rude to Mrs Keene. He futher denies his fitness to practise is impaired. He admits refusing to allow inspectors to see documents.

The hearing continues.