A GP surgery has volunteered to take on Brighton and Hove's most dangerous patients to protect colleagues from attack.

The Preston Park Surgery will employ security guards after agreeing to take on patients with a track record of violence against doctors.

People who have been struck off their own GP's list because of violent or abusive behaviour are being referred to Dr David Supple and Dr Julian Greaves in a new scheme.

The doctors have volunteered to take on a total of up to 15 of Brighton and Hove's most aggressive patients.

Preston Park Surgery has reassured existing patients their safety or treatment will not be compromised, stressing people receiving treatment under the scheme will be seen outside normal hours.

The practice has stepped up security measures, installed panic alarms and given staff training in how to deal with aggression.

Patients joining the scheme are fully assessed and asked to sign a contract agreeing to certain conditions before they can receive medical care.

GPs in the city have been told they must continue treating difficult patients, with places on the scheme reserved for only those considered serious offenders.

Concern has been growing about the level of aggression faced by health workers in the NHS.

Increased violence in hospitals has been blamed on changing attitudes towards the medical establishment in the wake of cases such as serial killer GP Harold Shipman.

In a joint statement, Brighton and Hove NHS Primary Care Group and Preston Park Surgery said: "Health authorities have a responsibility to immediately allocate a patient to a new GP practice once that patient has caused a violent incident which warranted the police being called and a crime reference number being allocated.

"These incidents are not common but are treated extremely seriously."

The statement said health authorities had now been given the additional responsibility of identifying a secure location in their area where violent patients could receive treatment.

Preston Park is the first such location identified in East Sussex and its scheme has been in operation since the beginning of this month.

Family members of patients joining the scheme will not be allocated there and patients will be returned to a practice nearer their home if they no longer give cause for concern after 12 months.

Health authority figures revealed 26 attacks on GPs across East Sussex in a recent 15-month period, 16 of those in Brighton and Hove.

At least one attack involved a GP being threatened by a knife-wielding patient.