AN optician who practised illegally on hundreds of patients was yesterday cleared of serious professional misconduct.

Stuart Maxwell denied five allegations when he appeared before the General Optical Council's (GOC) disciplinary committee.

He was said to have tested the sight of three patients between June 2001 and October 2002 when not permitted to do so by law.

It was also alleged he made inappropriate comments to an 83-year-old woman and failed to provide her with a prescription.

The committee heard how Mr Maxwell, an optician for 13 years, practised at The Spectacle Warehouse, in Victoria Road, Hartlepool, while unregistered from June 2001 to March 2003.

Mr Maxwell, of Fourwinds Court, West Park, Hartlepool, was cleared of making inappropriate comments to the pensioner, which he denied.

However, he was found to have tested the sight of two other patients when not permitted, which he admitted, as well as the 83-year-old, which he denied.

It also found that he failed to provide her with an obligatory prescription or statement saying she did not need glasses.

Mr Maxwell was registered with the GOC in 1991, but his name was removed in May 2001 when he failed to re-register.

Between June 2001 and March last year, he remained unregistered, but continued to carry out eye tests, submitting 1,811 forms to the NHS.

Mr Maxwell told the committee he did not realise the mistake and said he had left the matter to his book-keeper.