Mothers who have received letters intending to explain what happened to their babies' organs after death have been left even more confused and angry.

The letters, written by York Health Services NHS Trust chief executive Simon Pleydell, have been sent out by York District Hospital in the wake of the Alder Hey organ retention scandal. They indicate that babies' organs were removed - but have failed to clear up the mystery of what became of them.

Some inform mothers that it is likely their babies' organs were removed during post-mortem examinations - but go on to give an ambiguous account of what happened next.

They state that either the organs were then replaced for the funeral or were disposed of, leaving mothers as unsure as ever about what happened.

York Health Services NHS Trust responded to 106 inquiries. Though some received letters, others were either spoken to on the telephone or face to face, and some were told their babies' organs had not been removed.

The latest development has been a particular blow to one York family - which includes three women who each lost babies and who have all received letters telling them it was likely their children's organs were removed.

Lynette Hughes and her sister Caren Fisher both lost children to cot death in the 1980s, while their sister-in-law Sharon Sellars's child was still-born in 1995.

Sharon, 27, of Barkston Grove, Chapelfields, said: "If they have not got the information, then they should say so. But this just means that we still don't know.

"Why not say: 'We don't have any records, we can't help you any more.' I could handle that. It's just not knowing." Sharon said that she always had a "niggling feeling" that something was not right as she was not able to see her baby before the funeral.

"I just want to know if I buried him with his organs or without his organs." Another York mum, aged 40, who wanted to remain anonymous, lost a child in 1994 after 23 weeks of pregnancy.

She agreed only to a tissue sample being taken from her child's back, and described her letter as "insulting". The woman added: "That the hospital actually does not know what happened is unbelievable. What are records for? They must have records."

She was also angry at the lack of a personal letter. Her child was not even named and described only as "your baby".

Sharon's letter, which is virtually identical to those received by all the York mothers interviewed by the Evening Press, reads: "At the post-mortem, it is likely that organs were removed from the body (as this is normal practice).

"However, our records confirm that these were either returned to the body before it was released for the funeral or subsequently disposed of in accordance with the procedures current at the time.

"It is also likely that tissue samples were taken at the time of the post-mortem, which may well have been kept until after the funeral.

"Our records confirm that these, if taken, have also been disposed of and are no longer held at York District Hospital."

The reason for not telling the mothers about this was "to avoid causing additional distress".

It goes on: "We accept that in future, fuller information must be provided to relatives and I apologise that it was not in the past."

It also says: "There is a remote possibility, although nothing in the records indicates that this is the case, that tissue samples were sent to one of the national or regional centres for a second opinion or for teaching or part of a research project."

George Wood, deputy chief executive of York Health Services NHS Trust, said he and others closely involved were aware from personal conversations how distressing this whole experience had been for relatives who had lost loved ones.

The trust advises people who want to follow up on some matters to ring a helpline number on 01904 454424.

Updated: 10:39 Monday, May 21, 2001