ARY Digital has been fined £15,000 by Ofcom after the channel allowed an interviewee to unduly promote scientifically unproven cancer "treatments" without evidence or challenge.

A consultant surgeon complained that claims made by a Dr Surjeet Kaur on an edition of The Weekend Show broadcast on February 18, 2006 were "potentially dangerous".

On the programme, Kaur was interviewed for 30 minutes and made various claims about ways to treat cancer, sterility, sciatica - including simply cooking with garlic. She also promoted her alternative health practice and a "special formula" capable of treating "many diseases".

Ofcom ruled that in airing the programme, ARY Digital breached three rules of the programme code pertaining to "protection for members of the public from the inclusion in such services of harmful and/or offensive material" and undue prominence.

ARY Digital UK said that its board of directors had accepted the resignation of its CEO as a result of its compliance failure and added that its compliance department has been "strengthened".