A FORMER Bolton man's "fight for justice" after being excluded from out-of-court payments made to men convicted for gay group sex has been given a boost by a national group.

Norman Williams, aged 52, one of the "Bolton Seven" involved in the high profile court case, was the only one not to be offered a £15,000 payment from the Government because he did not appeal against his conviction.

He was convicted of gross indecency at Bolton Crown Court in 1998 for being part of the group under laws which forbid consenting gay group sex.

Six of the seven appealed to the European Court of Human Rights claiming the law and their conviction conflicted with both with their human rights and their privacy.

In July the six were awarded the payments before the case reached the European court.

Mr Williams, who has since moved away from the town, told the BEN he knew nothing of the settlements at the time and he did not lodge an appeal because he wanted to put the case behind him and rebuild his life.

He said he is now seeking legal advice over a further appeal and the payments.

Mr Williams said: "Rather than this being a victory for human rights, it has been a personal nightmare.

"Given what I know now I would have definitely appealed and would have taken the money."

Now, following its annual conference in London, the Campaign for Homosexual Equality (CHE) has written to solicitor general Harriet Harman outlining Mr Williams' case.

The CHE passed an emergency motion requesting the Government to make an ex-gratia payment to Mr Williams or to explain why it will not. In his letter to the solicitor general, CHE executive committee member Griffith Vaughan Williams states: "We would hope that the Government will not take the view that Mr Williams is less deserving than the others simply because he did not join them in an appeal.

"It must be clear to you that Mr Williams has suffered the same denial of human rights and to exactly the same extent, as have the other six."