A DOCTOR and former Army colonel is behind bars after being found guilty of a string of sexual assaults at Frimley Park Hospital between 2008 and 2014.

Dr Neil Ineson, 62, of Sandhurst, Berkshire, was charged with 13 counts of sexual assault on military personnel between August 2008 and November 2014.

Surrey Police launched an investigation in conjunction with Frimley Health NHS Foundation Trust following an allegation of sexual assault at the hospital in November 2014.

Further allegations of sexual assault were subsequently reported to police.

Ineson was found guilty of 11 of the 13 charges following a trial on April 4, 2017. He was sentenced to four years in prison and placed on the Sex Offenders Register for 10 years.

Restrictions were imposed on reporting the trial until the second trial had taken place.

Ineson was found not guilty last Thursday in connection with a separate allegation.

T/Detective Sergeant Jennie Henderson said: “This was a complex and sensitive investigation which has resulted in a positive conviction, bringing to justice an individual in a position of responsibility who has committed offences spanning a number of years.

“Surrey Police is pleased that the judge has recognised the threat this offender posed and this is clearly reflected in the sentence.

“We have specially trained officers who deal with reports of sexual assaults and I would urge anybody who feels they have ever been a victim of such an incident to report it immediately on 101 in the confidence that we will take it seriously and investigate it fully.

“Alternatively you can report any crime in complete anonymity to the independent charity Crimestoppers by calling 0800 555 111.

“Anyone wishing to report a crime can do so by calling Surrey Police on 101 (999 in an emergency) or report it through www.surrey.police.uk .”

Frimley Health NHS Foundation Trust responded in a statement: “We would like to apologise on behalf of the trust to the victims in this case for the distress they have suffered as a result of Dr Ineson’s actions.

“As soon as the first accusation was brought to our attention in November 2014 Dr Ineson was suspended and we referred the matter to the police immediately.

“We notified the GMC so they could also take appropriate subsequent action to protect patients. Before this no concerns of this nature had ever been raised with us in relation to Dr Ineson.

“Since then we have co-operated fully with the police investigation.

“To date, the investigation has found that all the victims were military personnel who were being examined by Dr Ineson, a former Army Colonel, as part of the trust’s contract with the Ministry of Defence.

The statement continued: “The trust has in place a senior ‘freedom to speak up guardian’ who leads a team to ensure that we are doing all we can to protect staff who raise a genuine concern in the interest of patient safety.

“We want to make sure they feel confident they will be taken seriously and that they will not suffer any adverse effects for doing so.

“We have also reviewed our policy in relation to intimate medical examinations to ensure chaperones are present regardless of the sex of the patient and clinician.”