Heart surgeon Amal Bose from Lancashire's Cardiac Centre in Blackpool answers sexual assault claims in court

Amal Bose, the top consultant at Lancashire’s Cardiac Centre - a specialist heart centre at Blackpool Victoria Hospital which sees patients from hospitals across the region, said any innuendo-filled remarks he may have made were just "banter".

Bose, 55, faces 14 charges relating to six women at Blackpool Victoria Hospital, where he was formerly head of the cardiovascular surgery department.

The surgeon, of Thurnham near Lancaster, denies all the offences.

Two colleagues of Bose told the hearing at Preston Crown Court that they had never seen him touch anyone inappropriately.

Healthcare assistant Paul Down told the trial that Bose was a "happy go lucky" person.

The job could be very busy and stressful and the surgeons and nurses enjoyed a lot of banter.

Bose was "very professional" and on occasions could be "quite blunt" when things went wrong.

Bose took to the witness box to refute suggestions that he inappropriately touched several colleagues.

He said he had a good relationship with members of staff at the hospital.

But he also knew that certain colleagues "didn't like him”.

Asked by counsel for the prosecution whether he used sexual innuendo, he agreed but said so did others at the hospital.

Bose denied touching colleagues inappropriately on numerous occasions and said he could not remember every alleged incident.

He told the jury, if he had touched anyone he might have brushed past them in the kitchen.

Bose said: "It's difficult to remember things that happened four or five years ago when to me they were innocent occasions."

It was also put to him that when a female colleague was eating a lollipop he said: "I've got something better for you to suck on."

He is also alleged to have told another "I would love to tie you up" and on another occasion flicked a woman's nipple.

Bose denied the claims and said it was never his intention to make anyone feel uncomfortable.

The trial continues.