A BROMSGROVE boy who as a baby suffered severe brain damage and blindness following a junior hospital doctor's blunder has been awarded £3.25m damages.

On Mondaym, The High Court in Birmingham made the award to Wayne Heathcote against the Birmingham and Black Country Health Authority which had earlier admitted liability.

Wayne, now aged 13, suffered serious injury during treatment he received at Good Hope Hospital, Sutton Coldfield in 1988.

The incident has left him needing 24-hour care, unable to walk or talk properly and he is only just starting to feed himself.

He is only as tall as a child half his age and is prone to severe mood swings and violence and can use only limited sign language

Wayne was born a healthy baby but while undergoing hormone tests at the hospital when just four weeks old was given six times the correct dose of the drug Argi9.

Speaking at the family home in Linthurst Newtown, Waynes' father James Heathcote, a former lorry driver said he was relieved the claim had finally been settled after 13 years but vowed to continue to campaign to prevent similar incidents happening.

He said: "The money, properly invested, will enable us to sort out his care and ensure Wayne has a more comfortable life."

Some of the cash will be used to buy private specialist therapy, James, who puts the breakdown of his marriage on the stresses and strains brought on by Wayne's condition, said.

In a statement following the hearing, health authority chief executive Geoff Scaife said: "We would like to offer our sincerest apolgies for the treatment that caused Wayne such serious injury.

"We are pleased we have been able to reach an amicable financial settlement. We appreciate that money can never put right what went wrong but hope that the settlement will help to provide a secure future for Wayne's care and well being.

"We appreciate providing care for Wayne over the years must have been very difficult, and would also like to express our admiration for the devoted care and affection that Wayne's family and carers have provided in looking after him."