DO sexually harassed colleague

Kent-based dispensing optician Michael Bowles has been suspended from General Optical Council registers after a fitness to practise panel heard details of prolonged sexually motivated harassment of a colleague.

The committee heard that between September 2016 and April 2017, Bowles behaved inappropriately towards a female colleague, including instances of squeezing her shoulder, touching her face and hair and unfastening her bra. He also verbalised explicit sexually motivated desires to her.

An investigation was launched into the registrant’s actions, the terms of which were breached after he contacted other witnesses by telephone. Bowles also failed to disclose the investigation to the GOC.