A GRIEVING York mother today hit out after it emerged she could receive as little as £500 compensation over the baby organs scandal.

Fiona Chilton, of Clifton, said money was not important but the cash row "cheapened the memory" of her dead child.

Another York mother was left fuming at health chiefs after it was reported that legal costs for claims might not be paid to hundreds of distraught families - because they were "not emotionally damaged" by their ordeal.

Sharon Sellars, 31, of Barkston Grove, said: "How can you lose someone so close, have their organs removed and know nothing about it, and not be psychologically damaged?"

The York mums are among more than 1,300 families across the country facing fresh heartache as they wait for the lengthy compensation saga to be resolved.

A £3.3 million payout has been agreed for families after a court ruled hospitals involved had broken the law.

Parents of babies whose organs were removed and stored without permission were set to receive about £2,500 each.

But now it has emerged nearly half the claimants may not get legal bills paid, leaving some with just £500.

A separate wrangle over legal aid may leave some hard-up parents out of pocket completely.

Fiona, 30, whose premature daughter Emma's brain was removed during a post mortem at York Hospital in 1994, said: "I flipped when I heard about the compensation. It's insulting."

She added: "It's not about the money - but £500 would cheapen the memory of my baby. They were supposed to be taking responsibility for what they have done wrong and saying sorry. They are not doing either." She said she was furious at claims she may not be emotionally damaged by her ordeal. She only found out Emma's brain had been removed in 2001 in the wake of the Liverpool Alder Hey outcry.

"I used to have a gentle and soft manner," added Fiona, who has three other children. "Now I've become hardened. They don't have a clue about psychological damage.

"It has been hell. I feel like my life has been turned upside down and I'm getting to the point where I don't want their dirty money."

Sharon Sellars suffered the heartache of a second funeral for her stillborn son, Shaun Robert.

This came after York Hospitals NHS Trust told her that slides and tissue samples taken from Shaun in 1995 had been discovered. She was only told this harrowing news in 2003.

Reacting to the latest news about the legal row, she said she would challenge anyone who said she was not emotionally scarred by her ordeal.

"It's so insensitive and I think it's insulting for anyone to claim otherwise," said Sharon, who also stressed the claim was never about money.

"I still haven't had the truth and no apology from the hospital. I'm where I was five years ago."

A statement from the NHS Litigation Authority, said: "We have agreed the amount of compensation with the families involved, but we have not agreed their lawyers' costs. Negotiations are continuing."

Updated: 11:25 Tuesday, February 15, 2005