Doctor quits after recycling patients’ fat

The Beverly Hills cosmetic surgeon, Dr Alan Bittner (pictured), has closed his Rodeo Drive clinic after it emerged that that he had been turning fat removed from patients in liposuction operations into biodiesel to power his and his girlfriend's cars.

Also closed is Bittner's website - www.lipodiesel.com - on which he boasted: "The vast majority of my patients request that I use their fat for fuel - and I have more fat than I can use. Not only do they get to lose their love handles or chubby belly, but they get to take part in saving the Earth."

According to a report in Forbes magazine, Bittner used the "lipofuel" to power his Ford Explorer 4x4 and his girlfriend's Lincoln Navigator. Although no one is certain how exactly Bittner turned the triglycerides contained in human fat into fuel, Forbes claims a gallon of fat will produce about a gallon of fuel, and motorists can expect to achieve the same mileage per gallon from "lipofuel" as they would from regular diesel.

Bittner's fuel business came to light after a number of his patients file lawsuits alleging that he had allowed his girlfriend to perform surgery without a medical licence. Having closed his clinic, and with California's health department opening an inquiry into his practice, it is understood Bittner has moved to Bogota in Colombia.