Student avoids interim order

A General Optical Council fitness to practise panel has turned down an interim order for suspension made by the Council in the case of an unnamed student optometrist who was convicted of causing actual bodily harm.

The panel was made aware that the student was told to pay £75 in compensation to the victim and ordered to do 150 hours of unpaid work when they appeared before Harrogate Magistrates Court on March 5 2009.

The violent incident, which was captured on CCTV cameras, happened during the early hours of December 27 2008 and it involved the registrant assaulting the victim who was on the ground.