Dr Andrew Wakefield, the expert at the centre of the MMR controversy, "failed in his duties as a responsible consultant" and showed a "callous disregard" for the suffering of children involved in his research, the General Medical Council (GMC) has ruled.

Wakefield also acted dishonestly and was misleading and irresponsible in the way he described research that was later published in the Lancet medical journal, the GMC said. He had gone against the interests of children in his care, and his conduct brought the medical profession "into disrepute" after he took blood samples from youngsters at his son's birthday party in return for payments of £5.

The doctor, who was absent from today's GMC hearing, faces being struck off the medical register. The panel decided the allegations against him could amount to serious professional misconduct, an issue to be decided at a later date.

Wakefield said he was dismayed at the panel's decision. "The allegations against me and against my colleagues are both unfounded and unjust ... and I invite anyone to examine the contents of these proceedings and come to their own conclusion."

The panel chairman, Dr Surendra Kumar, was heckled by parents who support Wakefield as he delivered the verdicts.

One woman shouted: "These doctors have not failed our children. You are outrageous." She called the panel of experts "bastards" and accused the GMC of being a "kangaroo court". Another shouted: "This is a set-up."

In the late 1990s Wakefield and two other doctors said they believed they had uncovered a link between the MMR jab, bowel disease and autism. The research caused a big drop in the number of children given the triple jab for measles, mumps and rubella.

The hearing has sat for 148 days over two and a half years and reportedly cost more than £1m. Thirty-six witnesses gave evidence at the hearing.

The accusations relate to investigations for the study, based on 12 youngsters with bowel disorders, carried out between 1996 and 1998. At the time all three doctors were employed at the Royal Free hospital's medical school in London, with honorary clinical contracts hospital itself.

The GMC heard that vulnerable children were subjected to "inappropriate and invasive" tests by the doctors, who breached of "some of the most fundamental rules in medicine".

Wakefield did not have paediatric qualifications and had not worked as a clinical doctor for several years when he ordered the tests, the panel was told.

One of the key claims was that Wakefield accepted more than £50,000 from the Legal Aid Board for research to support a group of parents' attempts to fight for compensation.

It was alleged Wakefield applied for money so that five children and their families could stay in hospital during tests and for MRI scans for each child.

The money was paid into an account at the Royal Free for Wakefield's research, but, the GMC alleged, the cost of scans and hospital stays would have been met by the NHS.

Wakefield was accused of paying children £5 for blood samples at his son's birthday party, then joking about it afterwards.

All three doctors denied the allegations against them.