HE might not be the singing detective but Mark Almond certainly is a musical doctor.

The former Bolton School pupil has successfully managed to combine his love of medicine and music, working as a junior doctor at St Mary's Hospital in Paddington and touring the world as a professional French horn player.

Dr Almond, aged 27, started his musical career 18 years ago, playing in the Bolton Youth Orchestra and various local brass bands.

He feared he would have to give up his passion for playing when he started medical school in Cambridge nine years ago, but it was while he was in his first year that he got his big musical break, playing a concerto with the London Symphony Orchestra.

Then, in 2003, while on surgical attachment in Reading, he received an unexpected phone call from the Phiharmonia Orchestra and decided to take a year out to become one of its members.

He toured China, playing to 15,000-strong audiences in Bejing, and has performed in Carnegie Hall. New York. and the Sydney Opera House, Australia.

Dr Almond, whose family still lives in Bromley Cross, said: "I've always wanted to be both a musician and a doctor and it's just been a case of balancing the two.

"I've been very lucky that I've been able to do that, and I've been able to see some absolutely amazing places through my music."

Earlier this year, Dr Almond was invited to take part in the Channel 4's Music Hall Of Fame, and was delighted to learn he would be part of the backing orchestra supporting Corrine Bailey Rae, Johnny Burrell, from Razorlight, with Beatles producer Sir George Martin conducting and Roger Taylor, of Queen fame, on drums.

Dr Almond said: "It was an amazing concert and one I hadn't expected to do since leaving my job as a musician to become a doctor."

The senior house officer, who works in cardiology, admits that for the moment his priority is his medical career, but he has not ruled out returning to music.