THE surgeon arrested on suspicion of manslaughter after a patient died at a North-East hospital has voluntarily withdrawn from doing emergency work.

The Northern Echo revealed yesterday how the 61-year-old - who has not been identified - was arrested following the death of grandfather Alan Dunn at Darlington Memorial Hospital.

Mr Dunn, 60, of Ferryhill, County Durham, had apparently stabbed himself, and later died at the hospital after the knife was removed from his chest. A spokesman for the County Durham and Darlington Acute Hospital NHS Trust said the surgeon had not been suspended.

Mr Dunn's oldest son, Lee, said the family was determined to get answers about what happened on the night his father died.

He said he was stunned to hear his father, a former miner, had died only minutes after a nurse told him medics were trying to stabilise him.

Lee Dunn, 39, of Ingleby Barwick, near Stockton, said: "A nurse told me they were preparing him for x-ray. A few minutes later, she returned and said he had taken a turn for the worse and that they were doing all they could to save him.

"I couldn't understand what had happened, and then just a few minutes later she returned again with a doctor - and I knew from the look on their faces he had gone."

Mr Dunn Snr, who had worked at Bishop Auckland Hospital for more than 11 years, left a wife, Colleen, 59, sons Lee, Graham, 36, Michael, 34, daughter Angela, 31, and eight grandchildren.