A doctor who caused the decapitation of a baby will be allowed to return to work, a medical tribunal has found.

Dr Vaishnavy Laxman wrongly decided to deliver the first time mother's baby naturally instead of delivering the boy by caesarean section at Ninewells Hospital in Dundee on March 2014.

It was found that the patient's cervix was too small, being no more than 4cm wide, during the delivery.

However, Dr Laxman has avoided being struck off and will be allowed to return to work immediately.

Tribunal papers said: "The tribunal did not find that Dr Vaishnavy Laxman's fitness to practise is impaired by reason of misconduct."

They added: "The tribunal wished to record that nothing in this determination should distract from the fact that on March 16, 2014, Dr Vaishnavy Laxman made a significant error of judgement which had serious consequences and a profound impact upon patient A and for which Dr Vaishnavy Laxman bears a heavy responsibility."

Ms Laxman, who previously undertook roles in obstetrics and gynaecology in Stirling and Kirkcaldy, started work at 8.30am the previous day and went home at 6pm for five hours.

She then returned to the hospital at 11pm before being told about the patient at 2am.

Ms Laxman was then paged at 8.30am to take a look at her when her condition became more critical.

The tribunal papers said: "The tribunal found that the breach extraction and consequences of traction was necessitated by Dr Vaishnavy Laxman's earlier decision to proceed with a vaginal delivery and which is the subject of the tribunal's findings.

"Accordingly, the tribunal found that Dr Vaishnavy Laxman conduct set in train a course of events which ultimately resulted in the decapitation of baby B and to this extent contributed to the decapitation.

"But for Dr Vaishnavy Laxman error of judgement in this regard, the decapitation would not have occurred."