A HIGH Court battle for fair compensation for families whose relatives had organs removed without their consent by the NHS was launched yesterday.

More than 2,000 claimants who say organs were taken from their dead babies without their knowledge are demanding compensation.

They say that health trusts across England offered only £1,000 compensation, compared with £5,000 given to parents of children whose organs were taken in the Alder Hey scandal, in Liverpool, in 1999.

North-East couple Anthony and Maureen Atwill are among the claimants.

Their son, Brent, 29, died at Newcastle General Infirmary following a car accident and his parents, from Sunderland, say his brain was removed without their consent.

Opening the case Richard Lissack QC said the removal of organs was done without relatives' knowledge.

Sally Smith QC, for the NHS Litigation Authority, said that the doctors' had not taken the organs for research but to answer parents' questions.

The Department of Health has urged both sides to reach "a reasonable and amicable settlement."

Simon and Kathleen Whitfield, from Darlington, lost their five-month-old son, James, to Sudden Infant Death syndrome in 1995.

Darlington Memorial Hospital told them that tissue was removed from James's organs, without their consent, for medical research.

But while they were shocked at the news, they said they never once thought about claiming compensation.

"What good would it do? It wouldn't bring James back," said Mr Whitfield.

The case continues.