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A paediatrician banned from child protection work for three years appeared in the High Court last week to fight calls that he should be struck off the medical register.

David Southall was found guilty of serious professional misconduct by the General Medical Council in August 2004, after accusing the husband of Sally Clark of killing his sons after watching a documentary in 2000.

Sally Clark was convicted of killing her babies in 1999 but was cleared in the Court of Appeal in 2003.

But health care watchdog the Council for Healthcare Regulatory Excellence applied to the High Court to have the GMC's judgment reviewed, arguing it was "unduly lenient".

Barrister Monica Carlss-Fisk, for the CHRE, argued that the GMC should have considered striking Southall off because he had refused to apologise for making the accusations.

She argued that his penalty may have been acceptable if he had said sorry but the case included an "extraordinary combination" of false allegations and a refusal to back down.

"The public must have confidence that parents and children will not be put at risk by irresponsible reporting of such issues," she said.

Mark Shaw QC, for Southall, said he had made just one mistake and the punishment he had received was more than enough.

Mr Justice Collins has reserved his decision in the case.