Down man takes liver-transplant battle to courts

The father of a Co Down teenager who urgently needs a liver transplant is set to take his battle to the courts.

Gareth Anderson was admitted to hospital in Belfast on August 2 with liver failure after a weekend of heavy drinking with his friends.

He has recently been transferred to King’s College Hospital in the UK.

A NHS protocol means he cannot get a transplant until he has been free of alcohol for six months.

His father, however, is seeking a judicial review of the rule, saying it should not apply to his son as he is not an alcoholic.