Uninsured surgeon struck off.

A cosmetic surgeon, who worked without adequate insurance for operations that went wrong, has been struck off.

One woman, from County Durham, cannot close her eyes properly after being operated on by Dr Arnaldo Paganelli, while others did not receive thousands of pounds in compensation.

The Medical Practitioners' Tribunal Service ruled his actions constituted misconduct.

Four women took their case to The Medical Practitioners' Tribunal Service, which heard evidence involving Birmingham's Dolan Park Hospital where Dr Paganelli made regular trips from Italy to work.

Lead campaigner Dawn Knight, from Stanley, County Durham, said too much skin was removed from her eyes during an eyelift in 2012 and they became "constantly sore".

She now wears special lenses, has to take eye drops every few hours and may require further surgery.

She said she was relieved that Dr Paganelli cannot injure anyone else in the UK and called for the government to tighten regulation around cosmetic procedures to protect the public.

She said: "The process has been long, emotional and exhausting. This situation must never be repeated.

"When are you more vulnerable than when under anaesthetic at the hands of a surgeon who has no insurance?"

Dr Paganelli, who worked privately for The Hospital Group in Birmingham, denied there were problems with Ms Knight's surgery and the tribunal did not hear any evidence about the medical side of her case.

Following bungled nose surgery, in 2015 Joanne McKay, of Crieff in Perthshire, was awarded £22,500 in compensation and £121,000 legal costs in the civil courts but, in common with other claimants, did not receive any money.

The tribunal heard Dr Paganelli did not submit a proper insurance claim relating to one patient while at other times he had a policy that did not cover his work in the UK.

He was declared bankrupt in February 2013.

During the hearing it emerged The Hospital Group, without admitting any liability, paid out almost £500,000 to some patients who complained and deducted up to £10,000 a month from Dr Paganelli's salary to help cover those costs.

The tribunal ruled the doctor was more concerned about protecting his ability to work in the UK than he was about his patients.

The Hospital Group said he had not worked there since it changed ownership in August 2016.

It added: "The group has put an aftercare package in place for patients, with an insurance-backed guarantee."