BRAVEHEART BUTCHER; EXCLUSIVE.

Byline: NORMAN SILVESTER

THE plastic surgeon blamed for Denise Hendry's death has paid out pounds 750,000 to 16 victims of botched ops.

Gustav Aniansson is facing more than 50 complaints about his surgery across Europe.

Lawyers acting for Scotland star Colin Hendry - who lost Denise last month when she died from complications linked to her 2002 surgery - yesterday said: "This is unprecedented." Aniansson - branded "reckless and incompetent" by doctors - returned to work in Stockholm onMondayfor the first time since 43-year-old Denise's death.

He refused to comment when confronted by our reporter. A letter by NHS consultant surgeon Andrew Howcroft slamming Aniansson's skills was sent to the General Medical Council after Denise's initial operation. It stated: "We feel that the indications for such a procedure were at the least dubious and its performance reckless and incompetent." The number of complaints against Aniansson by women in Britain has risen from 29 to 46.

There are six more in Sweden. Manchester law firm Pannone, who gained pounds 300,000 compensation for Denise, have now won compensation for 15 other women.

Claims The money was paid out by Aniansson's medical insurers and the individual sums range from pounds 15,500 to pounds 50,000. Negligence experts Pannone continue to act for Colin, 43 - nicknamed Braveheart. Pannone's Steven Jones said: "Wehave written to the Swedish authorities with all the information we have on Aniansson.

"In our experience, most doctors only have one or two claims against them in a lifetime. "This man has had 46 complaints made against him in Britain over a four-year period. He admitted negligence in 16 cases. From Page One "It is unprecedented. We cannot believe that he is still allowed to practise. "I also suspect that the 46 who came forwardmayonly be the tip of the iceberg. "There may be many women out there who were just too embarrassed to come forward."

Sources close to former Rangers and Scotland star Colin say he is determined that further action should be taken. Police may still be asked to launch an investigation into Denise's death after the firm received a coroner's report. One of the complaints in Sweden has resulted in an official warning which could lead to further disciplinary action and two are still under investigation.

Aniansson was cleared of one complaint, a second was timebarred and a third lacked enough evidence. Catrine Nystedt, 46, of Stockholm, lodged a complaint against Aniansson after he botched up an operation on her nose and eyelids three years ago. It left her with a hole on the nose and permanent scarring. Aniansson had to do another operation in February 2007 to fix the scar but she was still left with redness more than a year later. His response was to tell her to "wear make-up to cover the redness up".

She went to three other doctors but they told her the mistake could not be rectified and she now suffers depression. The National Board of Health and Welfare in Sweden ruled he had not done his work properly and his behaviour was not acceptable. He was i s s u e d with a reprimand and is facing further disciplinary action. Last week, we tracked Aniansson down to the Nackakliniken Clinic which he runs in the suburbs of Stockholm and where he sees his patients before operations. He arrived shortly before9am on Monday. It is understood he took an extended holiday after the death of Denise, originally of Dundee. When he finished around 4pm, he refused to answer our investigators' questions and sped off in a new BMW.

He refused to take our calls and on Thursday, we were told he had taken a few days off. Christina Franzn, of the National Board of Health and Welfare, said: "As long as Gustaf Aniansson has a Swedish certification, he is allowed to work here in Sweden, until we forbid him. That can only be done after a review of his activity and if that review shows that he is dangerous to his patients. "We have received a report against Gustav Aniansson from a British law firm and his activity will be reviewed by us."

Yesterday, Colin did not want to discuss the case. Aniansson performed surgery on mother-of-four Denise while he was working at Broughton Park private hospital in Preston, Lancashire. He perforated her small intestine and colon nine times, causing blood poisoning, kidney failure, a heart attack and a collapsed lung. Aniansson voluntarily removed himself from the General Medical Council register in 2003, which means he cannot work in the UK. But the move means he escaped a professional investigation and can still work abroad.

CAPTION(S):

Back at work: Aniansson at clinic Surgery: Denise Hendry Back to work: Aniansson at his clinic last week. Above, the Hendrys at Denise's funeral