THE husband of a North-East CJD victim has called on the Government to inform people given blood from CJD-infected donors.

Kevin Minto, 35, lost his wife Mandi, a former judo champion and mother-of-two, in July 1997.

The Sunderland father believes health officials should inform individuals rather than leave them in the dark.

His comments come after the Department of Health admitted that 21 patients given blood donated by CJD victims had still not been told about it.

The CJD incident panel decided not to reveal the information to the individuals involved, arguing that scientists had found no evidence to prove variant CJD can be passed by blood between humans.

Last January The Northern Echo revealed how North-East haemophiliacs had been treated with blood products from a donor later diagnosed as a victim of variant CJD. While those affected were told, the disclosure policy was not extended to non-haemo-philiacs.