CONTAMINATED blood supplies infected thousands of people with diseases ranging from HIV to hepatitis.

Last month, campaigners celebrated after an independent inquiry said the practice of buying blood from American prisoners and drug addicts was ‘a tragedy’.

But Grappenhall resident Michael Kenwright, infected with hepatitis C during a blood transfusion, had a second battle to fight.

For years he had struggled to get his MP, Helen Southworth, to openly support him.

Following the report’s publication, he asked her to propose an early day motion in Parliament supporting him, or sign an existing motion supporting last month’s Archer Report.

Last Thursday, she put her name to two EDMs regarding blood. One was the motion to support the Archer Report, and one requesting further screening of blood and blood products.

Mr Kenwright now hopes that other MPs will follow her example and sign the motion.

“I hope they realise the horrific wrongs that were inflicted on a group of very vulnerable people and realise that this Government has a duty to take up the complete recommendations Lord Archer has called for and that this is done as a matter of urgency,” he said.

“Remember, people are still dying while the Government is considering the report.”

Helen Southworth said: “I welcome the publication of the Archer Report into contaminated blood and blood products and I am supporting the call for swift action from the Government to implement the recommendations and make sure the victims of the use of these products are compensated. “I am also backing research and use of new technologies to identify and inactivate pathogens in blood for which there are currently no blood screening tests, such as the avian flu virus.”

Following the publication of the report, Conservative hopeful David Mowat said compensation for those affected should be available.

“The Government has refused to properly compensate those affected by this tragedy because they say there was ‘no negligence’ on their part.

“This is not the issue. They already pay compensation to other groups where they are not at fault, such as criminal injury compensation,” he said.