TV surgeon and cyclist killed after collision with motorist in Essex

A surgeon famous for appearing on the Channel 5 programme Botched Up Bodies has been named as the cyclist killed after a collision with a motorist in Braintree earlier this month.

Niall Kirkpatrick, a specialist in craniofacial surgery and head and neck reconstruction, was killed after a driver collided with him on the Fairstead Road on the morning of 9 January. He died at the scene. Another cyclist sustained injuries to his face in the crash.

Essex Police arrested a 65-year-old on suspicion of causing death by careless driving. The man has since been released under investigation and the police have called for witnesses to the incident to come forward.

A world-leading plastic surgeon, Mr Kirkpatrick was known for his appearances on the Channel 5 show Botched Up Bodies, where he corrected bungled cosmetic work.

He was a chairman and director of the international children’s charity ‘Facing the World’ and in 2012 he led a team which ‘rebuilt’ the face of Ali Hussein, a teenager injured in an American airstrike during the Iraq war.

The British Association of Plastic Reconstruction and Aesthetic Surgeons opened a book of condolences, describing Mr Kirkpatrick as “an exceptional man and a great doctor.” 

Television presenter Katie Piper said that the 62-year-old was “an incredibly talented and kind surgeon” who “helped so many people” and was “extremely charitable and caring.”