A GWENT Assembly Member says she is shocked after discovering that tissue samples from her stillborn daughter are being held at a local hospital.

South Wales East AM Jocelyn Davies, 45, from Newbridge, was shocked to find out that 25 wax blocks and slides of tissue matter taken from her daughter, Louise, were retained in the archive of the Royal Gwent Hospital, Newport.

The samples were taken following a post-mortem examination that Mrs Davies and her husband, Newbridge councillor Michael Davies, agreed to following their daughter's stillbirth in 1988.

Mrs Davies decided to make inquiries about her daughter - through fellow AM Jonathan Morgan to avoid a conflict of interest - after taking up the case of Newport father Shaun McGuire, angry with Gwent Healthcare NHS trust for retaining tissue samples from his son, Brendan, who died when he was just 36 hours old in 1974.

Mr and Mrs Davies say they received an admission from the trust that they are storing some tissue samples.

And, the couple say, trust bosses told them they cannot categorically assure Mr and Mrs Davies that none of Louise's organs were also kept without physically checking their archive.

"When the reply came back it was a complete surprise because we didn't expect the hospital to have kept anything," said Mrs Davies, who represents Plaid Cymru.

"We thought it would be just a routine check. Now they have asked us what we want to do with the samples, but because our daughter was cremated, we can't bury them. We just don't know what to do."

Mrs Davies, who has a 24-year-old son, Lewis, from her first marriage, has since had two children with husband Michael, Anna, 14, and Katie, 13.

She added: "I want to know what they are keeping them for. It can't be for research purposes because the post mortem revealed there were no abnormalities with Louise, as is often the case with stillbirths.

"They told me that as far as they could tell they haven't kept any body parts, but they cannot give a categorical assurance without checking the archive in person.

"It has brought it all back to us after nearly 16 years, and you just don't trust anybody. I can understand why a family involved in such a situation feel there is no justice. I wished I had never asked -- that is how it is making me feel now."

A spokesman for the Gwent Healthcare NHS Trust said: "We acted in accordance with the usual NHS practice at the time, and since the publication of the Alder Hey report we have strictly followed guidance by the Assembly.

"However, we do not underestimate the emotional impact felt by any family involved and will continue to offer any help and support we can."