JURORS have been unable to reach a verdict in the case of a top Southampton doctor on sex and common assault charges.

The panel of eight men and four women retired for more than three and a half hours yesterday before indicating to Judge Derwin Hope they were deadlocked in their deliberations on consultant Animesh Banerjee.

The judge then discharged them and extended the ear, nose and throat specialist’s bail, while the Crown Prosecution Service has been given a week to decide whether to seek a re-trial.

Banjeree, 47, from Eastleigh, was accused of sexually assaulting a worker at the Royal South Hospital where he had been working since 2010 for the Care UK.

Banerjee denied the allegations.