A TEENAGER who has grown up without knowing his father after he died following a routine operation to remove his tonsils has won a five-figure payout at London's High Court.

Michael Benterman was 19-months-old when his father, also called Michael, bled to death after a private tonsillectomy operation at Oxford's Radcliffe Infirmary in November 1994. His mum, Cora, of Kysbie Close, in Abingdon, sued for compensation.

But yesterday, two weeks before a trial was due to begin, a settlement was reached and a lump sum payment of £40,000 was agreed.

Michael's mum said: "No amount of money will ever change what happened to my husband and Michael will never have the chance to know his father. This has been a long time coming, but I always strongly felt that this shouldn't have been allowed to happen.

"The money for Michael will hopefully provide him with some security for his future."

The surgeon who carried out the operation, Grant Bates, and the Oxford Radcliffe Hospitals NHS Trust agreed to the settlement without making any admission of liability for Mr Benterman's death.

Mr Benterman died after extensive and prolonged bleeding following the 20-minute operation, carried out privately at the hospital on November 15, 1994.

An inquest into the death, held at Oxford Coroner's Court, resulted in a verdict of death by misadventure.