TWO doctors who offered 'magic potions' to a pensioner with breast cancer at their Downton clinic were this week found guilty of acting irresponsibly but will be allowed to continue in practice.

Dr Paul Layman (49), of Copse Road, Verwood and Dr Jason Schreiber (35), of Salisbury Road, Fording-bridge, were appearing at a disciplinary hearing before the General Medical Council in London, facing accusations of serious professional misconduct.

On Monday, the two doctors were told that the council felt they had misled patients into believing their breast cancer could be cured by alternative medicine that did not involve surgery or uncomfortable treatment.

By offering 'magic potions', they had acted irresponsibly and their natural and organic programme of metabolic therapy risked lives and was misleading.

The council found that they had not acted in the best interests of their patients, but in a manner likely to bring the medical profession into disrepute.

Dr Layman was suspended from practice for 12 months and ordered to undergo a major retraining course.

His junior partner, Dr Schreiber, will be allowed to continue in practice but under strict supervision for 18 months. But the hearing cleared both men of providing a patient known as Mrs X with an information pack that was "factually untrue".

The committee then went into closed session to consider whether their behaviour amounted to serious professional misconduct.

During the six-day hearing, counsel for the GMC Fiona Horlick said Dr Layman was a "stubborn doctor who let his hobby horse run away with him", as he refused to take on board the possible side-effects of the alternative treatment he was offering to breast cancer patients.

Dr Layman and Dr Schreiber had advertised their alternative private practice at Brackendene Clinic, Downton - since renamed Tannery House - on the internet, but the claims they made were not backed up by any proper scientific evidence.

The council concluded that the two doctors were "biased against conventional treatments" and did not alert patients to the risk of the adverse affects of treatments.

The hearing was told that the alarm was raised by a GP in the Scottish Borders, who became suspicious when the doctors failed to reply to letters she had sent them, asking for details of what they were giving one of her patients.

They had recommended, among other preparations, a vegan diet and organic juices, apart from the alternative medicines.

Patient Mrs X had been taking up to 60 apricot kernels a day, which expert witness Professor Edward Ernst told the hearing could bring on "dizziness, coma and even death".

Professor Ernst, from the University of Exeter, said that some of the substances prescribed in the Downton clinic had contained quantities of cyanide, which he described as "one of the most potent poisons known to mankind."

He had examined all the claims for cancer cures made by the clinic and said: "I thought these were very naive and not medically sound.

"They were flying in the face of science and were totally ignorant.

"Most certainly, there was not clinical evidence to support them."

Edinburgh-qualified Dr Layman told the hearing that many patients who came to him did not want to undergo surgery or radiotherapy and chemotherapy treatment.

He refused to accept that information contained in a pack sent to patients and over the internet was irresponsible.

He said: "My intention was to offer hope and encouragement.

"There is a need among cancer patients for this help."

He agreed his methods had not been scrutinised and clinically tested and said he might have been naive in the way he had presented his promotional literature.

Anthony Haycroft, for Dr Layman, told the hearing that Dr Layman was appealing not to be struck off.

He had no intention of putting himself in the same position again and, if allowed to remain in practice, was interested in obtaining some sort of teaching position.

The case, which had already led to the closure of the clinic, had caused him great stress, for which he was being medically treated, and had "greatly upset him".

Dr Schreiber said he had personally tested some of the alternative medicines recommended by the clinic and none had sparked off any adverse reaction, so far as he was concerned, apart from a liquid he drank, after which he felt sick for half-a-day.

The German-born doctor said he had written to the Downton clinic for details after being attracted to complementary medicine and was eventually offered a job.

He told the hearing: "I was never a shareholder in the clinic.

"I was employed on a salaried basis.

"I worked under the supervision of Dr Layman and was trained by him."

He denied having any part in writing the information packs and advertisements and said they were largely available when he arrived.

His counsel, Duncan Pratt, said that the doctor had been a very junior partner and had done nothing dishonest.

"There was nothing in his conduct to hoodwink or harm patients," said Mr Pratt.

"He has been a remarkably silly young man and now wants the opportunity to return to a conventional career in orthopaedics or general surgery."