A breast cancer surgeon sacked from a Bradford hospital trust for allegedly lying on his CV has denied he had been "deliberately and dishonestly" misleading.

Robert Phipps appeared yesterday before the General Medical Council defending himself against claims he fabricated his CV to get the post of specialist breast surgeon at Bradford Royal Infirmary.

The 49-year-old from Beech Tree Court, Shipley, told the hearing his job history and references put him ahead of any other candidate for the post in 1998.

He told the hearing in Manchester: "There was no need to misrepresent my attainment to the Bradford Trust." He said there were "very few people" of his quality who could present themselves for a job - even today.

"There are not the people coming forward with my skills and experience," he said. He described the accusations as "frankly absurd" and "frankly preposterous".

The hearing, in front of the GMC's professional conduct committee, has previously heard how Mr Phipps's CV showed a catalogue of senior registrar and consultant positions in Britain and New Zealand.

But, giving evidence in March this year, David Jackson the chief executive of Bradford Hospitals NHS Trust, said after Mr Phipps had been employed rumours about his lack of qualifications began to circulate. Checks were then made which found the alleged discrepancies.

Yesterday Mr Phipps apologised for errors over his role in medical publications but added: "They were unintentional. They were not intended to misrepresent my career history or professional attainment."

He said that, in 1998, in Bradford, to find someone like him was "exceptional". He said he had missed some jobs off his CV because he thought they were irrelevant and insignificant.

He told the hearing he applied for the job after saying initially he was not interested. But hospital chiefs asked him back and offered to put up him and his family in a first class hotel.

He got the job in May 1998 but two years later he was sacked.

It had been claimed he said he had held posts which he had not and missed others off. He said his CV showed one message only: "I have exceptional experience and skills in the management of breast cancer," he told the hearing.

He said he had set up a breast cancer screening programme in New Zealand where he was an acknowledged expert and revealed contents of glowing references for when he applied for higher surgical training status and for the Bradford post.

Mr Phipps, representing himself, will be cross-examined by the General Medical Council's Chris Tirani on Wednesday.