A doctor accused of sexually molesting a young woman, who had gone to a walk-in medical centre complaining of abdominal pains, was today cleared.

A jury took just over two hours to unanimously find Dr Raza Hyder not guilty of sexual assault and he was discharged from the dock at Liverpool Crown Court.

During the week long trial Liverpool Crown Court heard that Dr Hyder told the 23-year-old woman to lie on the examination couch.

After she declined the offer of a chaperone he allegedly lowered her leggings and examined her abdomen and groin, touching her inappropriately.

Arthur Gibson, prosecuting, claimed he asked her to lie on her stomach and repeated what he had done when she was lying on her back.

Her mother was waiting for her at the all day health centre at Arrowe Park Hospital, and the alleged victim began to cry and gave her version of events.

Her mother went back in to complain to the receptionist and later rang the police.

40-year-old Dr Hyder, of Sandhurst Drive, Wilmslow, Cheshire, denied the allegations and said he had carried out "an entirely appropriate clinical examination."

He disputed her version of events and his defence team claimed that the woman's account was "unbelievable."

Dr Hyder said he had examined her lower abdomen and she had said the pain was lower down and pointed to between her legs.

He said that she had pulled her leggings down herself and he examined her groin but denied touching her genital area and said he had twice asked if she wanted a chaperone.