An Elstree doctor who was caught up in an MMR jabs scandal early last year is fighting for his reputation in court.

Dr David Pugh ran the Elstree Aeromedical Centre at Elstree Aerodrome, where he charged £70 to administer single jabs for measles, mumps and rubella vaccinations, giving parents the chance to ditch the NHS's MMR vaccination.

He is on trial for allegedly forging the results of eight blood tests it is claimed he told some parents their children were inoculated against the deadly diseases when they were not, apparently in order to quieten the panic generated by the scandal.

Prosecution barrister Ian Wade said Pugh had carried out free blood tests for parents who were worried their children were not inoculated. But, said Mr Wade, if the results showed that immunisation had not been achieved then he would deal with them himself.

Mr Wade said: "This case asserts that in eight cases reports which had shown failure were diverted to Dr Pugh and were tampered with, interfered with and falsified. They were altered by Dr Pugh and passed by him direct to the parents with the false news that the immunisation had been successful when in truth it wasn't."

At St Albans Crown Court this week, Pugh's former manager Denise Smith said the practice had generated a turnover of £17,000 per week at the height of fears of a link between the MMR jab and autism, and Pugh had been treating 50 children per day.

But she said Pugh had an "excellent" relationship with patients and was not motivated by a desire to make a "fast buck".

The prosecution alleges that the 55-year-old GP altered eight of the results.

Between June and December 2002 Dr Pugh went to Australia to carry out research and hired Dr Andrew Eardley and Dr Adrian Waldron. Their contracts were terminated in December.

Asked by defence barrister Timothy Kendal what happened when their contracts were terminated Mrs Smith said: "Dr Waldron took it badly. He promised he would ruin the clinic."

She did not believe the vaccinations had been watered down, and said she thought Pugh was honest, reliable and hardworking and would not put lives at risk. The case continues.