A BROMSGROVE man who was left with a rare form of HIV after receiving a blood transfusion has been awarded £750,000 after a seven-year battle with the National Blood Authority.

Alan Best, aged 64, from Golden Cross Lane, Catshill, became infected with HTLV-1 in February 1995, after he received five units of blood during a seven-and-a-half hour surgery for pancreatitis at the Nuffield Hospital, Birmingham.

It was later discovered that one of the units of blood was contaminated, and the National Blood Authority admitted providing the blood without screening it.

The illness, a variant of HIV, forced Mr Best to give up his job at MG Rover in March 2000 after 40 years, and it is likely to consign him to a wheelchair within the next four years.

"I am limited to what I can do and my balance is unsteady," he said.

"I have to use a stick, but I get around as best I can."

"I know that I'm getting gradually worse and I am going to end up in a wheelchair, but I'm resigned to it now."

Mr Best's wife, Rita, praised the courage shown by her husband and believes that they will cope.

"Alan is very strong underneath.

"It's taken so long, but we've gradually grown used to it.

"We need to plan a lot of things ahead, and although everything is a bit uncertain I'm sure we'll cope."

Despite the ordeal, Mr Best insisted he is not angry with the National Blood Service.

"I don't blame them for this.

"At least now they are going to start screening for things like this."

Timothy Deeming, from Irwin Mitchell law firm - who represented Mr Best, said: "The National Blood Service carries out excellent work in saving many thousands of lives and we do acknowledge that it has a difficult assessment in deciding what extent it should screen products.

"As a result of Alan Best's case, the National Blood Authority has since changed its procedures."