A FATHER-OF-TWO was awarded £175,000 compensation after his wife died from a brain cyst which doctors failed to spot.

Stephen Hawes, a former engineer, of Badger Way, Hazlemere, gave up his career to care for his two young children in the wake of his wife Alison's death in August 1997.

The family's counsel, Rohan Pershad, said at a hearing at London's High Court last week that medics had failed to diagnose or treat the benign brain cyst "over the course of probably three or more years".

The court heard that Mrs Hawes could have been suffering the first symptoms of the cyst as long ago as 1989 in the form of mystery headaches. But the presence of the cyst was not discovered until a post-mortem was carried out following her death at Wycombe Hospital.

Mr Pershad added: "Mr Hawes' case was that it ought to have been treated and, if it had been spotted and diagnosed, it would have been treated successfully."

The court heard judgement was formally entered against the South Buckinghamshire NHS Trust in August last year.

After negotiations outside the court, the trust agreed to settle the family's claim for £175,000 compensation.

Mr Justice Holland approved the settlement and wished Mr Hawes "the very best in what must be a rewarding but arduous task" of bringing up his children.