A leading surgeon in colorectal cancer is to join Worthing Hospital.

Mirza Khurrun Baig, who is a fellow at the Cleveland Clinic in Florida, will join the consultant team in July as a coloproctology general surgeon.

He specialises in the diagnosis and treatment of bowel cancer, inflammatory bowel disease and functional bowel disorders.

Last year he performed more than 300 colonoscopies to become a clinical fellow at the Florida clinic.

Before moving to the USA he worked at the Royal Surrey County Hospital in Guildford. The new job is something of a homecoming for Mr Baig, as he worked as surgical registrar at Worthing Hospital in 1996.

Worthing and Southlands Hospitals carry out hundreds of laparoscopic procedures - more commonly known as keyhole surgery - each year and are gaining an international reputation for their expertise.

Consultant surgeon and clinical director Tony Miles said: "We are very fortunate to have been able to appoint Mr Baig.

"He will help us cut our waiting times and provide us with an expertise not previously available at this hospital."