A HOSPITAL consultant from Appleton, who was caught with child porn, faces being kicked out of the profession.

Dr Paul Galea, aged 64, was convicted of possessing an indecent photo of a child at Warrington Magistrates’ Court last January.

Galea, who used to live on Chalfont Close, was jailed for 12 weeks and ordered to sign the sex offenders register for seven years.

Magistrates also ordered the confiscation of three DVDs, containing compilation footage of children, which were found in his possession.

Later this month Galea, an anaesthetist, faces a fitness to practise hearing before a General Medical Council panel hearing in Manchester.

He has been suspended from practising since an interim hearing, also in Manchester, last August.

But the case is not the first time Maltese-born Galea has been in trouble with the authorities over his conduct.

Police arrested and charged him over allegations that he chased nurses around a Wigan hospital and unfastened their bra straps.

Galea was later cleared of several allegations of indecent assault, in relation to his behaviour at the Royal Wigan Infirmary, following a Bolton Crown Court trial.

He was summoned to appear before the GMC in December, 2001, in the wake of the case.

The watchdog found him guilty of ‘unprofessional, inappropriate and improper conduct’ towards seven nurses between 1995 and 1998 at the hospital.

He had admitted the charges in relation to four of the nurses but denied misbehaving with the other three.

Galea blamed his lack of knowledge of the British social structure for his behaviour and ‘resentful’ working-class attitudes. He was banned from practising for four months.

If the new case is found proved against him he could face a further suspension or permanent erasure from the medical list.