A Spanish doctor based in Hastings is suing the Daily Mail for damages over a “vicious accusation” made by former columnist Kelvin MacKenzie.

Ex-Sun editor MacKenzie, who was axed as a Telegraph columnist after one article last week, wrote in April 2012 that a misdiagnosis by Dr Jose Antonio Serrano Garcia had led to “living hell” for a patient.

Telling the story of how bus driver Kevin Jones had his driving licence taken away on the advice of Serrano, the article suggested there was a “language barrier” between doctor and patient.