TAINTED-BLOOD victims and their families won the right to launch a High Court action for damages yesterday.

A High Court judge has dismissed government attempts to stave of the suit and paved the way for 500 claimants to sue.

The Factor 8 Campaign group said the case concerns commercial products derived from blood plasma that caused haemophiliacs and others to be infected with HIV and hepatitis in the 1970s and ’80s and led to thousands of deaths.