A MIDLAND man who suffered severe brain damage when his birth was delayed has been awarded a £6 million payout.

Christopher Langford, aged 23 and from Tipton, claimed he was left with cerebral palsy due to alleged failings at former Sandwell Maternity Hospital.

The High Court in Birmingham yesterday approved the £6 million payment, including a lump sum of £2.75 million plus annual payments for care and rehabilitation for the rest of his life.

West Midlands Strategic Health Authority refused to admit liability for delays in Christopher’s delivery on October 26, 1987.

But in February 2009, a judge at the Royal Courts of Justice found that, if Christopher had been born just six minutes earlier, he would have avoided the majority of his injuries caused by lack of oxygen.

Christopher’s mum Amanda Langford, said: “For many years the Health Authority led me to believe delays in Christopher’s birth were not responsible for his severe cerebral palsy.

“I took legal action because I was determined to prove that their mistake robbed my son of a normal life.