An internationally-renowned scientist has been banned from unsupervised research after forging documents during drug research.

Dr Henry Elliott had the restriction imposed on his practise for a year after the General Medical Council (GMC) was told he wrote two letters falsely claiming approval to test a drug on volunteers.

A hearing was told Dr Elliott, based at West Glasgow Hospitals University NHS Trust, wrote the letters in October 1997 and January 1998. He admitted falsifying the papers.

He had originally been given approval for the research into an anti-hypertension drug for drug company Sanofi Winthrop but when alterations were made he side-stepped the legal procedure and forged the letters.

Lynn Griffith, presenting the case for the GMC, said: "One lie inevitably led to another."

She added: "Had for some reason the ethics committee not given their approval to this study it could have continued on a false basis. There was potential for these matters to have gone horribly wrong."

'Lapse of judgement'

Member of the ethics committee and a boss of Dr Elliott at the NHS trust Professor John Reid said his colleague was guilty of a "serious lapse of judgement", but that it was an "isolated incident".

Chairman of the GMC's professional conduct committee Rodney Yates, returning the decision, said: "On two occasions you deliberately falsified letters suggesting you had full and unqualified approval for a research protocol when you did not have such approval.

"It is vital for the integrity of medical research that proper procedures are strictly followed when seeking approval for research projects.

"By your deliberate falsification of these two letters you sought to bypass those procedures. Given the serious dishonesty on your part which occurred on two occasions, the committee consider that they must take action to affect your registration."

The hearing was told he side-stepped the procedure to speed up the tests and did not stand to gain personally from the forgeries. Sanofi Winthrop estimated the tests to be worth £50,000 to the company.