A NEWPORT dad who discovered tissue from his dead son's organs was stored without permission has branded a 500 settlement "disgusting".

Last year, following a High Court ruling, hundreds of bereaved families from across the UK were told they should be offered at least 2,500 in compensation.

But now the NHS is refusing to pay the legal bills of more than half the families including that of Bettws man Shaun McGuire - effectively reducing their payouts to just 500.

Mr McGuire says the settlement is an insult to the memory of his dead son, Brendan, just 36 hours old when he died in May 1974 after an unsuccessful operation at Newport's Royal Gwent Hospital to correct an intestinal problem.

Following the Alder Hay organ retention scandal in the 1990s, Mr McGuire discovered tissues were retained from Brendan's liver, kidney and lungs.

Mr McGuire said: "It's been five years of hassle, besides the trauma of having our child cut to pieces and stored.

"We had to have another funeral and counselling. I can't believe they are doing this, it's disgusting.

"All I want is an apology, truthfulness and accountability."

Last year South Wales East AM Jocelyn Davies also discovered tissue slides of her stillborn child had been kept at the Royal Gwent without her knowledge.

She is not claiming compensation, but told the Argus the latest development was adding "insult to injury".

A NHS Litigation Authority spokesperson said: "We have agreed the amount of compensation with the families involved and this money was paid to their lawyers before Christmas.