A NEWPORT-born surgeon who oversaw an operation during which the wrong kidney was removed from a Korean war veteran has retired, it was revealed yesterday.

Newport High School old boy John Roberts, who lived in Stow Park Avenue, is understood to have received more than £300,000 in the past four years since the operation while suspended on full pay.

Patient Graham Reeves, 69, died five weeks after Mr Roberts, 61, oversaw surgery by registrar Mahesh Goel to remove his diseased right kidney in an operation at Prince Philip Hospital, Llanelli, in January 2000. Mr Reeves had his left kidney removed by mistake.

Yesterday Camarthenshire NHS Trust said: "Mr Roberts is no longer employed by Camarthenshire NHS Trust and has taken early retirement." Mr Roberts has also dropped a planned High Court appeal against his suspension.

Last January, a General Medical Council panel heard the error occurred because Mr Roberts read a set of Mr Reeves' X-rays the wrong way round. The panel determined that Mr Roberts, as the senior figure overseeing the operation, should have known Mr Reeves' right kidney was to be removed as he had seen the patient a month before the operation.

Mr Roberts and Dr Goel, who has returned to India, were found guilty of serious professional misconduct and suspended for 12 months.

Mr Roberts, now of Pastoral Way, Sketty, Swnansea, and Dr Goel were cleared of manslaughter charges relating to Mr Reeves' death in June 2002.