British doctor Dr Shajul Islam hailed a hero for helping those suffering in Syria gas attack has previously stood trial on terror offences
It is alleged that the doctor has links to a group that kidnapped British reporter John Cantlie
A FORMER NHS doctor who was praised as a hero for treating victims of the suspected gas attack in Syria has stood trial for terror offences and is alleged to have links to kidnapping groups.
Dr Shajul Islam, from East London, was among the medics treating those injured in Tuesday's attack, in which 86 people - including 20 children - died.
The doctor posted footage onto social media from a hospital he was working at, in the Idlib province, which earned him praise for helping those amid the devastation.
However it has now emerged that the doctor, who graduated from the University of London, was charged with kidnapping two journalists in 2012.
The journalists were British reporter John Cantlie, and Dutch reporter Jeroen Oerlemans.
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A trial which followed eventually collapsed because the prosecution witnesses did not give evidence.
Dr Islam denies involvement in the kidnappings, claiming he only went to Syria to help victims of war.
In March this year he was removed from the medical register following a fitness to practice hearing at the General Medical Council.
He was banned because of "misconduct" however the hearing was held in private.
In his YouTube video following the attack, Dr Islam said: "The patients keep just flooding in from this chemical attack.
"Every one - every one - has got pinpoint pupils.
"The patients keep coming, we've run out of ventilators.
"We don't have enough ventilator space, so we're now taking out the transport ventilators we have in our ambulances and we're going to try to modify them to see if we can use them for our patients.
"I will show you the evidence again and again, but you know what? The world doesn't care and no-one is doing anything.
"We urge you to put pressure on your government - put pressure on anyone - to help us."