A GP has been banned from practising for three months after he admitted altering a child's records to justify giving him an MMR jab.

Dr Farhoud Wadih Moujaes, who was based at The Surgery, Manchester Road, Haslingden, also admitted a second allegation of changing a patient's computerised records.

Dr Moujaes, who trained in Italy before moving to the East Lancashire surgery, was sanctioned at a General Medical Council hearing in Manchester.

The panel found that his fitness to practise had been impaired by his misconduct and banned him from working as a doctor in the UK for three months.

The GMC, the independent body set up to promote good practice in medicine, investigated claims that he amended computerised records in relation to two patients.

Dr Moujaes admitted that on October 24, 2002, he went into a patient's computerised medical records at The Surgery and altered information about a mother requesting that she did not want her child to be given an MMR jab.

Following a complaint from the patient's father after the jab was given, it was claimed that Dr Moujaes altered the computer records to say Mum said she did not want him to have MMR after he was given the vaccination'.

Later the same year in December, Dr Moujaes admitted a further allegation of changing a patient's computerised records after a complaint.

The hearing was told that more than a month after seeing the patient he went back into their records to make changes to information.

The panel noted that the events came to light almost four years ago but there was a delay before they were reported to the GMC.

A spokesman for the GMC said: "The Panel has determined that it would be wholly disproportionate to erase a competent and well-respected doctor."

Mr Moujaes was unavailable for comment.