The family of the Cross Roads CJD victim last week heard what they had been waiting to for over a year -- confirmation of a link between BSE and CJD.

On Thursday the Carters -- Ron and Marilyn and daughters Lynette and Tracey -- travelled to London to attend the release of the Philips Report into the BSE crisis. It was an experience Marilyn described as "numbing".

Marilyn, whose 27-year-old son Andrew died of variant CJD in February, says: "To actually hear someone say what we have known, to hear it said in words, really brings it home -- the fact that somebody was to blame."

"We now know for sure that somebody has done this and that really is hard to accept. They're not going to be punished for it, but we're being punished for it for the rest of our lives."

In the 16-volume, £27million report, which took over two years to complete, Lord Philips criticised a number of ministers, but none were singled out for particularly harsh condemnation as was anticipated.

Marilyn says: "They've at long last admitted they're wrong and made mistakes, which to me means they have admitted to poisoning. We had apologies but not from the right people. I still want apologies from the people in the report."

The Carters say that while they are pleased with the Government's promise to set up a care package for future victims of the disease, they are still wary and want to see the plans implemented immediately.

Despite the report's insistence that there was no cover-up, Ron says: "If somebody has done a good enough job at covering things up you'll never know there's been a cover-up."

He says the family is also pleased to see the Government's commitment to compensation -- which could mean pay-outs of around £100,000 -- but adds that the money is of secondary importance to the care package.

Marilyn says: "This report and the compensation are too late for us, but there are more people to come. That's the frightening thing. We have suffered it and we know what it's like. With this disease you just never know whether it's going to knock on your door."