There have been calls for a new enquiry to be instituted over the PIP breast implant scandal.

A cosmetic surgeon from the Isle of Man made this suggestion after the scandal appeared to have moved to Sweden. The Swedish Medical Products Agency advised those who already have the implants to look into getting them taken out as a precaution.

One of the concerns is that one type of breast implant also contained an irritant which has caused inflammation of surrounding tissue in around a third of patients.

The PIP scandal came about last year when it was discovered the French company manufacturing the products were using materials that could potentially cause major medical problems; industrial silicone for instance.

However the scandal became more intense when it was realised that most of the implants were carried out by private cosmetic clinicians. Many of the latter refused to replace the PIP breast implants without the patients incurring more costs.

This led to women threatening legal action.

It is estimated that more than 300,000 women around the world have had PIP implants. About 47,000 are thought to be British.

While many cosmetic surgeons in the UK have advised getting the implants removed, this suggestion has also been controversial with one NHS surgeon suggesting routine removal is unnecessary.

However the Manx surgeon disagrees. Speaking with reporters, Kevin Hancock, a member of governing council of the British Association of Aesthetic Plastic Surgeons (BAAPS), said: “As a surgeon who has witnessed first-hand the devastating effects of the PIP implant scandal, I have been campaigning for many months for more rigorous testing to be done on the long-term effects of these products – especially as so many women are still living with them inside their bodies.”

He went onto say that they are not safe for human bodies.