A WARRINGTON haemophiliac who contracted hepatitis C from infected blood has slammed the Government for their treatment of victims.

Michael Kenwright, aged 43, of Chester Road, Grappenhall, contracted the potentially fatal virus in 1975 after receiving infected plasma imported from the USA as part of his treatment.

After 15 years of campaigning, the Government has now agreed a hardship payment for haemophiliacs infected with the disease.

But Mr Kenwright says that in order to claim the cash victims will be forced to sign a waiver pledging not to take any kind of litigation against the Government or the NHS in the future.

He said: "If ministers, doctors and the Department of Health say they are not guilty of negligence or misconduct and that they acted to prevent this infection as soon as possible, then why are those that have been infected with the virus now having to sign a waiver before they receive anything?

"I, for one, will refuse to sign anything like this because those haemophiliacs who were infected with the HIV virus in the 80s did, and it was later shown that the Government was already aware of the hepatitis C virus in our treatment.

"This waiver prevented those infected with HIV from any further action against the Department of Health."