DEVIZES chiropodist Julie Carter expressed huge relief that a disciplinary hearing has completely exonerated her of charges that she locked her former husband out of their shared practice in the town and deprived him of his patient records.

Gareth Carter told the hearing of the Health Professions Council, held at the Black Swan Hotel on Monday, that his former wife, in a fit of pique on finding he had gone to Sorrento in Italy with a woman friend, had changed the locks on the practice, Devizes Footcare Centre at 16 The Brittox, and refused him access to the records of his patients.

He also alleged that she had used the records to write to all his patients, saying that he was no longer operating from the Devizes premises.

Mr Carter said that the couple, who have two teenage children, had decided to end their 24-year marriage in April 2005 but their relationship had remained amicable until October of that year, when Mr Carter left for the holiday in Italy.

He told the tribunal that Mrs Carter had used his computer to book an air ticket to the USA and wanted to access it while he was in Italy to download the booking information.

He agreed, but said he then received a call from his wife. He said: "She was screaming obscenities. She said she was going to lock the business down and take all my patients away."

He felt Mrs Carter must have discovered details of who he was going to Italy with and it had come as a shock.

On his return to Devizes, he found Mrs Carter had changed the locks and he alleged she refused to allow him access to his patients' records.

Mrs Carter told the hearing that, far from being an amicable break-up, the marriage had descended into fear and violence as far as she was concerned.

She said he had tried to break into her home with a crowbar and that he had struck her. She said that she decided she had had enough and on September 4, had given Mr Carter a month's notice to quit the Devizes clinic. She owned the lease and he sublet a room in the practice.

When the month was up and no action had been taken by Mr Carter, she duly changed the locks.

But she told the hearing that she gave Mr Carter full access to his records and equipment and he visited the clinic and took away all the records he had asked for.

She added that she had known Mr Carter had a girlfriend for some time and it had come as no surprise the couple had gone to Italy together. She herself had no desire to go to Sorrento.

Delivering the panel's judgment, chairman John Williams said they had accepted Mrs Carter's version of events.

He said: "Accordingly, the panel finds no fault in Mrs Carter's actions and, therefore, her fitness to practise is not impaired."

After the judgment, Mrs Carter said: "The panel has completely vindicated me of any incorrect information given to patients.This has gone on for 12 months and this result is a huge weight off my mind.

"I have behaved with dignity and professionalism. I sincerely hope this is the end of it and I can get on with my career."