A Todmorden man who became a father after a botched vasectomy today said £37,000 compensation from the hospital trust responsible was not enough.

Steven Wright, 33, took legal action after he had been told he was no longer fertile following surgery at Rochdale Infirmary.

Sperm tests later revealed the procedure had failed - but he only realised the blunder after his wife Sharon, also 33, became pregnant in 2002.

Sharon, who was already suffering from depression at the time, said they had decided not to have any more children.

Today Steven said: "It's not enough money when you think about how much it costs to bring up a child but the courts are not allowed to take that into consideration. I think that is wrong and they should be given the flexibility to treat every case individually."

In February 2002, the hospital wrongly confirmed in writing he was not fertile and could "discontinue using other contraceptive measures".

But in September, after Sharon had stopped taking the contraceptive pill, she fell pregnant.

Steven added: "We had moved from a four-bedroom house to a three-bedroom semi when we decided our family was big enough.

"We were devastated when we found out Sharon was pregnant.

"We did consider a termination but then we said how can we terminate the product of a loving relationship. The baby had a right to life.

"We love our little girl with all our hearts, unconditionally but the thing that we have been most angry about is having the right to make that choice taken away from us.

"As parents we realised that our children are probably going to be living at home until they are in their 20s so we needed more space again and had to move again and double our mortgage.

"It has been really difficult because Sharon hasn't been able to work, looking after three children is hard enough but she was also suffering from depression at the time so to be told she was pregnant through no fault of her own was the last thing we wanted to happen.

"The money will go some way towards helping us financially but I hope that if anything, it highlights what happened to us, something that should never be allowed to happen to anybody else. Procedures should be tightened up."

The couple took legal action against Pennine Acute Hospitals NHS Trust, which admitted full liability in January, 2004, and have now agreed to pay £37,000 to the couple.

Sharon added: "We have never had an apology for what has happened. Our life has been turned upside down by this. I suffered a breakdown at work and had to leave. I just hope this never happens to anybody else."

Specialist clinical negligence solicitor, Janet Johnson from Donns Solicitors in Manchester, who represented the couple, said: "Had the test results been interpreted properly and the correct advice given, the Wrights would not have to pay the extra costs of bringing up a child."

A spokesman for the trust said: "There is no evidence to suggest that the vasectomy was performed negligently - a vasectomy cannot be totally guaranteed.

"The trust accepts that a letter was sent in error to Mr Wright indicating they could stop using contraceptive measures - and it was on this basis that the claim has been settled."