A DOCTOR accused of indecently assaulting patients was yesterday granted bail by a crown court judge.

Dr Syed Amjad Husain, of Orchard Court Surgery, in Darlington, has been in custody since his arrest by police investigating patients' complaints, on August 20.

He is facing 26 charges, including eight of indecent assault on female patients, aged from four to 74.

All but one of the offences was said to have been committed in the consulting room at the surgery.

The other was during a consultation at the home of an elderly patient.

The remaining 18 allegations relate to making indecent images of girls under the age of 16, all but two of which were said to have been downloaded from the Internet.

Three previous applications for bail made on Dr Husain's behalf have been rejected, two by magistrates at Peterlee, County Durham, and one by a judge at Durham Crown Court.

But following a further application, made by barrister Rod Hunt, Judge Richard Lowden granted the 29-year-old doctor conditional bail yesterday.

The application was made in chambers, but the conditions include Dr Husain, whose home is in Darlington, living at an approved address, as directed by the probation service, and reporting to Middlesbrough police station twice a week.

He is also forbidden from entering Darlington for any reason, and from accessing any computer connected to the Internet. The doctor must not contact or interfere, directly or indirectly, with witnesses in the case.

A surety, for an undisclosed sum, has also had to be lodged with the court by the doctor's family.

Dr Husain will go before the court for a plea and directions hearing at a later date.