A MOTHER who had to endure three funerals for her son following the Alder Hey organ scandal is backing other families who are suing the National Health Service for compensation.

Denise Green, who has recently moved from Bolton to Stretford, says taking the NHS to court will bring a sense of closure to their nightmare.

Around 2,000 families across the country are taking legal action after they discovered that the organs of their children had been taken without their consent. They want more than the £1,000 they have been offered.

Denise and Bill Green's 18-month-old son William was stripped of his organs in 1994 after he died during an operation to correct a heart condition at the Liverpool children's hospital. But it was nearly six years later that they found out his organs had been removed.

The parents involved in the Alder Hey scandal settled their cases 18 months ago and are believed to have accepted £5,000 in compensation.

Mrs Green said the money paid out was "buttons", but brought comfort to her knowing accountability for the scandal had been accepted.

Mrs Green said: "I fully support the parents and hope the court action will make them feel comforted. The fact that a lesson has been learnt and the fact that it has been taken to court shows a wrong doing.

"I didn't realise so many families had been affected and it is important for them to see someone being held accountable. It's not the money that's the issue, but taking the NHS to court is the only way they will learn a lesson and make sure this will never be repeated."

Mrs Green said the Human Tissue Bill, which is currently going through Parliament, was "the ultimate closure".

The Bill, which would apply to England, Wales and Northern Ireland, outlines the penalties individuals or institutions could face if they remove organs without the prior consent of the deceased or their next of kin.

"The Bill is what we've all been waiting for," said Mrs Green. "The outcome of the Act is what the penalties will be and that, for me, is the key factor and the ultimate closure. It will be a major, positive change for every child, adults, the families and the hospitals."