Committee to review suspension

A GOC fitness to practise committee is to review an interim suspension order of a pre-registration optometrist accused of inappropriately 'touching' a 14-year-old girl during an eye examination at Boots Opticians in Harlow.

Harbhajan Singh, 24, had pleaded not guilty to the offence when he appeared before Harlow Magistrates Court last December. On that occasion Harlow Magistrates Court declined jurisdiction in the case.

As reported in Optician, (February 16), Singh has been committed to the Crown Court to appear for a plea and case management hearing on March 26 2007.

Details of the alleged incident emerged during an earlier GOC hearing but for legal reasons cannot be published at this stage.