A YORK mother who is seeking compensation as part of the "retained organs scandal" said today she was ready to take her case to the High Court.

Fiona Chilton, from Acomb, lost her daughter, Emma, eight years ago after she was born prematurely.

Then, after the revelations about the removal of dead children's organs at Liverpool's Alder Hey Hospital sparked a national outcry, Fiona discovered her daughter's brain was removed at York District Hospital.

It was then sent to Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust and later destroyed. Only blocks and slides remain.

Fiona is now taking legal action through Bristol-based solicitors Clark, Wilmott and Clark, who are also representing 1,300 families nationwide.

Solicitors will go into mediation with the NHS Litigation Authority on September 25, 26, 27 to try to resolve the matter.

But a trial date in the High Court has been set for June next year if the mediation between the two parties fails.

Claire Jewell, from Clark, Wilmott and Clark, said cases will be put into categories to be looked at. She said they were aiming to get an apology for the families and highlight the previous practices.

She said: "We also want to try and get the law clarified as it is a grey area to stop such tragic events happening again.

"Hopefully we will come to some agreement at the mediation but you never know what will happen

"We do not want to drag this out for any of them, a lot want the matter resolved."

But Fiona said she was quite prepared to go to court as it would then bring the issue to the public's attention.

She said: "The solicitors are hoping for mediation to work, but I cannot see what it will achieve. It will cover it up more and no one will know what they have done. I will go to court as I want them to admit what they have done."

A spokesperson for the NHS Litigation Authority confirmed the mediation would be taking place.

Updated: 14:13 Monday, September 16, 2002