A doctor is being investigated after claims he removed a dead woman's heart pacemaker with a penknife in her home.

Dr Arepalli Krishnamurthy, who is known as Dr Murthy, is alleged to have removed the device from Edna Everson, 81, at her home in Bramhall, Stockport, Greater Manchester, using a neighbour's penknife.

He had been called there on August 20 to certify her dead, after she passed away following a long illness, and allegedly carried out the procedure after borrowing the knife from her neighbour, Geoffrey Conley. The pacemaker was then left behind when he went.

Mrs Everson's daughter, Jennifer, 55, who had been caring for her mother in the home they shared, is said to have been left upset and bewildered by the conduct of the doctor.

She said she thought it was "insensitive".

Dr Krishnamurthy, 56, is now on indefinite leave while an inquiry is carried out into the incident.

Police were asked to investigate by south Manchester coroner John Pollard after Ian Patterson, of Ben Lloyd undertakers, noticed there was an open wound in Mrs Everson's chest when he arrived the day after the doctor's visit.

Pacemakers are radioactive and can explode during cremation.

They are usually removed from people who are due to be cremated - as was the case with Mrs Everson - at the morgue.

Two years ago Dr Krishnamurthy received a severe admonishment from the General Medical Council for serious professional misconduct on a different matter.

The findings on this incident may also be passed on to the GMC and the GP could be disciplined.

Peter Milnes, chief executive of Stockport Health Authority, said what the doctor was alleged to have done was "unexpected and unusual".

He said: "The facts of the matter are not in dispute. Dr Krishnamurthy has been interviewed.

"The matter has been referred to the GP panel, who will be reviewing the case and making recommendations to the health authority next week. They will then decide what to do."