A doctor has admitted performing a sex act in front of a webcam in his consultation room.

Damian Smith, 37, who graduated from the University of Southampton, recorded a computer video file entitled ''Me In Surgery'' which showed him doing the act at the request of a woman.

The incident happened shortly after he had been seeing patients in morning surgery.

The GP later explained he was asked to make a video while he was in ''a heightened state of vulnerability'' as he looked through a host of medical legal emails, a disciplinary panel heard.

Elizabeth Dudley-Jones, counsel for the General Medical Council (GMC), said police discovered the file on the hard drive of his personal laptop after practice bosses raised concerns about the incident on New Year's Eve 2010.

In the video Dr Smith is seen sitting at his surgery desk with the lights out, she said.

''Dr Smith is seen talking to a female on the webcam,'' she continued. ''He refers to her by her first name.

''He said this was his new place of work and then turned round the webcam to show the room.

''He placed the webcam back on the surgery desk where he then appeared to remove his trousers.

''He continued to talk and then began to indulge in sexually explicit conversation."

It was at this point he commited the indencent act, at the Peel Medical Centre on the Isle of Man, where he worked.

''It is the GMC's case that Dr Smith's behaviour was indecent, inappropriate and was conduct that was likely to bring the medical profession into disrepute,'' added Ms Dudley-Jones.

A fitness to practise panel was told the doctor, who graduated from the University of Southampton, was sacked by fellow partners at the practice but no criminal charges were brought.

Appearing at a Medical Practitioners Tribunal Service (MPTS) hearing in Manchester, Dr Smith admitted committing an act of a sexually explicit nature, creating an electronic recording of it and then transmitting it to a third party.

The GMC say his fitness to practise is impaired because of his misconduct.

The panel was told Dr Smith sent a letter of apology to the practice partners in which he said he was ''shamefully sorry'' and that his actions were ''utterly stupid''.

Dr Smith wrote the incident ''could easily have been avoided'' if he had not taken his laptop to work.

In a letter to the GMC, the practice's senior partner Malcom Guild said Dr Smith's clinical competence had never been called into question and there was no history of improper behaviour involving patients.