A Lowestoft father has launched a legal battle for compensation after his daughter suffered brain damage.

Adrian Bonfield is seeking more than �300,000 in compensation from the James Paget University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust and the Cambridge University Hospitals Foundation Trust after Claire Bonfield was diagnosed with a brain tumour in 2004 and had to undergo two major operations.

Claire, now 18, suffers from significant motor and cognitive problems and sometimes has to use a wheel chair.

Her father is suing for compensation, saying that when Claire started feeling unwell in September 2002 she was seen by consultant paediatrician Dr Edelsten at the JPH. He is claimed to have thought there was no organic cause for her problems, which involved worsening headaches and vomiting.

After the Pakefield Middle School pupil's condition deteriorated she was seen again by Dr Edelsten in March 2004 who then arranged for her to have a CT scan which found the brain tumour – leading to surgery at Addenbrooke's Hospital in Cambridge.

The High Court writ says at Addenbrooke's Claire's condition worsened and she had to have another brain operation. She then developed e-coli meningitis at the hospital which she left in September 2004.

Mr Bonfield, of London Road South, is suing the James Paget trust as he claims it was negligent because Dr Edelsten should have regarded his daughter's symptoms as red flag symptoms and urgently arranged a CT or MRI scan.

It is said if the scans had been carried out earlier Claire's chances of contracting e-coli meningitis would have been only 2pc.

The Cambridge trust is being sued as it said staff at Addenbrooke's should have given Claire the antibiotic Gentamicin sooner and failed to manage her brain infection.