The General Medical Council hearing was told Dr Mohammed Tariqezzaman, of Manor Park, also failed to offer the patient an examination chaperone.

The alleged incident took place while Dr Tariqezzaman worked at Hertfordshire Hospital NHS Trust in October 2001.

He denies serious professional misconduct at the continuing tribunal.

'Feeling around'

The doctor suggested he examine the woman when she complained of having either a lump on her breast or chest pains.

Prosecutor Elizabeth Nicholls said: "No chaperone was offered but she agreed to the examination.

"As she was undoing her bra the doctor took over, pushed her bra upwards and said: 'Oh, nice' and took hold of her breast and squeezed."

The woman, who is in her 30s and suffers from Crohn's disease, said the doctor helped her lift her bra above her breasts when he saw her struggling to unclasp it.

'Taped conversation'She said: "He put his hands on my breasts feeling them rather than feeling a little bit. He was just sort of feeling around really - fondling really rather than feeling."

The tribunal also heard Dr Tariqezzaman secretly taped a conversation with a colleague in order to gather evidence to back up a racial discrimination claim he was making against the London Deanery medical authority.

He had launched an industrial tribunal case against the medical authority, on the grounds of racial discrimination, in April 2003 after he failed an interview with them.

The hearing has been adjourned until Tuesday.