TOP gynaecologist Paul Vinall ordered women patients to strip naked and bend down on all fours during examinations.

And the 55-year-old even helped some women undress and passed comments such as 'magnificent breasts' and 'I bet your husband appreciates that', it was claimed yesterday.

The consultant who is married with children, denies indecently assaulting women patients by subjecting them to 'humiliating and undignified' examinations.

Vinall, a Fellow of the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists, committed 31 offences against 22 women patients, Sheffield Crown Court was told.

Vinall, from Adel Pasture, Adel, Leeds, a consultant at Leeds General Infirmary and other West Yorkshire hospitals including the Mid Yorkshire Nuffield Hospital, Horsforth, denies all the charges.

Paul Worsley, QC prosecuting, said the offences took place at a number of hospitals between 1981 and 2000. He said in all the cases the women patients were completely naked and on some occasions Mr Vinall helped strip the women, removing their bra and pants.

He said 'inappropriate' examinations took place with patients naked on all fours or straddling the consultant's knee.

Mr Worsley said: "Mr Vinall's conduct towards these ladies on the occasions they will describe to you amounts to indecent assault against them carried out in a manner which gave him personal satisfaction and which caused the patients maximum humiliation and embarrassment.

"This is an unusual case. It is rare that a professional man puts his career at risk. It is rare that a teacher assaults a pupil or a solicitor defrauds a client or a doctor indecently assaults his patients, but sadly it does happen from time to time".

"People are often reticent about complaining about the conduct of a professional person. They may feel guilty they let it happen at all and that they didn't complain about it at the time. They might not wish to speak about it in public and may not be believed.".

Mr Worsley said Mr Vinall often examined women who were 'vulnerable' and who were worried about pregnancy or other women's problems and added: "All were required to be undressed or he undressed them."

He said Mr Vinall had qualified as a doctor in 1969 after graduating from University College London Medical School and he was a Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery. He had worked in Leeds since 1976 and had been a consultant there since 1980 in the Clarendon Wing of the Leeds General Infirmary.

Mr Worsley said : "Doctors are completely trusted by their patients only to carry out intimate examinations when necessary. A patient has only consented to be touched by a doctor for clinical and appropriate treatment."

He said when the assaults took place no third party chaperone, such as a nurse, was present and added: "Great care should be taken to protect a lady's modesty and dignity."

He said "Usually patients were required by Mr Vinall to remove all their clothing, on many occasions no gown or blanket was present so they could not cover up part of themselves.

"On several occasions Mr Vinall himself removed clothing such as pants and bras in a completely unjustified manner.

"If it is necessary to carry out an examination of the breasts then it should be carried out in a professional manner. Putting his hand inside a woman's bra and feeling a woman's breast would serve no clinical purpose whatsoever."

Mr Worsley said that touching a woman's breast with one hand whilst touching another intimate area would serve no clinical purpose whatsoever.

He added: "When she was naked, kneeling on all fours with her breasts hanging down would serve no clinical purpose whatsoever. Intimate examinations in circumstances like these took place, sometimes whilst straddling the consultant's knee. "Comments like 'magnificent breasts' and 'I bet your husband appreciates that' give some insight into his attitude."

He said vaginal examinations should normally be carried out with a patient on her back or side. But he added "Vaginal examinations were given to patients who were completely naked and were required to be on all four or naked and straddling the doctors knees".