A CHRISTIAN healer who claims to cure people by the laying on of hands is coming to North Yorkshire.

But a local medic has warned residents not to put all their faith in him and abandon conventional medicine.

The Rev Melvin Banks plans to visit Pickering next week and use the power of prayer to cure people of medical complaints.

Hundreds of flyers, entitled "Nothing Is Impossible", have been distributed in homes across the district.

The leaflets claim Mr Banks, an evangelical minister, will perform breathtaking miracles.

Examples of his "gift" include curing a small boy who previously was never able to walk or stand and an elderly lady who now no longer needs sticks to walk.

But Dr Clive Diggory, from the Derwent Surgery in Malton, warned patients not to abandon conventional medicine in favour of Mr Banks.

"The scientific community does not believe in this sort of thing," he said.

"However there are people who do believe they can heal people and there are those who believe they can be healed.

"As long as people are not being asked to pay money for this and provided they don't go and throw their medicine away and continue to see their doctor there is no harm."

Rev Melvin Banks told the Evening Press: "There is no money involved, people can come along and I will pray for everyone, no matter what their religion.

"We always advise people to continue to see their doctors afterwards but people have made some miraculous recoveries."

Mr Banks developed his healing powers after seeing a vision of Jesus sitting next to him in a cinema.

"I don't know where the power comes from but when I touch someone there is a great surge of power. I believe it is the Holy Spirit going through me," he said.

"It is a great gift, though there are no guarantees people will be cured.

"During the evening I will say a little sermon at the start and then begin healing."

Melvin Banks will be at the Memorial Hall, in Pickering, on Wednesday April 10 and April 11 at 7.30pm.

For advanced tickets phone 07974 009872.

Updated: 08:58 Wednesday, April 03, 2002