Surgeon Neil Hopper who had own legs amputated for sexual gratification jailed

An NHS surgeon who had his legs amputated for sexual pleasure has been jailed after pleading guilty to two charges of fraud.

Neil Hopper, a vascular surgeon once named Britain's bravest NHS surgeon following appearances on the BBC and ITV , claimed he fell ill while his family was on a camping trip and had to have his legs amputated. But, in reality, the 49-year-old medic's injuries were self-inflicted, as he froze his legs using dry ice while his wife and children were away on a trip.

He told a friend who found him at home after inflicting the injuries that he had suffered from flu-like symptoms. He went on to fraudulently claim more than £466,000 in insurance, and has now been jailed for 32 months.

Hopper, an amputation veteran who had carried out hundreds of operations, has adm