Cancer news via lawyer's letter

Chris Brace (left) said his father was very distressed by the news

An 82-year-old man from Nottinghamshire accidentally learnt he was dying of liver cancer in a solicitor's letter.

The family of Harold Brace, of Skegby, thought it would be better to keep the news from him because he has dementia.

His son, Chris Brace, a taxi driver from Sutton in Ashfield, said he was now demanding an apology from Broadbents solicitors.

The legal firm insisted it had not been warned that Mr Brace did not know he had only a few months to live.

'Moral dilemma'

The solicitors were acting for Mr Brace's ex-wife and keeping him updated on legal proceedings - they enclosed a court letter which described how their client understood he had terminal cancer with a maximum of three months to live.

Chris Brace said his father rang him up in tears after receiving the letter on Saturday morning.

He said: "(I am) absolutely disgusted that he's had to open his mail and read of his forthcoming death.

"I should've written a letter to explain the situation in full rather than just word of mouth, but I think it's more of a moral dilemma now - I'd just love to get an apology from them."

In a statement Broadbents said: "Had either Christopher Brace or Harold Brace's GP informed us that he wasn't aware of his terminal condition we would have not copied to him a letter to the court giving the grounds on which we were seeking an adjournment to proceedings for which he is a party."