The contribution of high linear energy transfer (L) charged particles to dosimetric and microdosimetric characteristics in a clinical proton beam was experimentally studied using an ionization chamber and track etched detectors. The particles mentioned are produced by proton nuclear interactions; at the Bragg peak region slowed down protons also contribute in the L region above several keV microm(-1). Due to these particles the biological weighted effective dose (BWED) of the beam changes with depth. The spectra of particles with L above 7 keV microm(-1) were established by means of track etched detectors, which permitted us to determine their contribution to dosimetric and microdosimetric characteristics of clinical proton beams. The studies were realized in the clinical proton beam of the JINR Dubna Phasotron, with a primary energy of 205 MeV. The relative contribution to the absorbed dose of the particles with L above 7 keV microm(-1) increases from several per cent at the beam entrance to several tens of per cent at the Bragg peak region. The relative biological weighted efficiency (RBWE) for radiotherapy has been calculated using a biological weighting function. It increases with depth from 1.02 at the beam entrance to about 1.25 at the Bragg peak region.