A consultant gynaecologist caused a premature baby to be accidentally decapitated inside as she carried out a delivery on an NHS maternity unit, a medical tribunal heard.

Dr Vaishnavy Laxman, 41, should have given the 30-year old patient an emergency Caesarean section as the premature infant was in a breech position but instead attempted to carry out the delivery using standard procedure, it was claimed.

The hearing at the Medical Practitioners Tribunal Service in Manchester heard how the doctor urged the patient to push as the practitioner applied traction to the baby's legs.

It caused the fatal injuries, it is claimed, and two other doctors subsequently carried out a C-section on the woman before handing her the infant after performing surgery.

The case relates to the incident which occurred on March 16, 2014, when Laxman was working at Ninewells Hospital in Dundee with a team of other doctors.

At the hearing, the mother - known only as Patient A - came to face with Laxman in an exchange across the room.

She looked at the doctor and said: "I don't forgive you - I don't forgive you" as the gynaecologist stared at the floor.

Hearing evidence of the incident, the tribunal heard how the mother's waters had broken early at 25 weeks and upon examination her unborn baby was found to have a prolapsed cord, and was in a breech position whilst the mother's cervix was around 2-3cm dilated.