A mother of five is suing two Bradford GPs for more than £100,000 after finding out she was pregnant following a sterilisation operation.

Gaynor Collier claims she was "devastated" when she was told she was expecting twins - weeks after the operation.

And she says the news and her pregnancy ruined her long-term relationship with the father of her children.

The 33-year-old claims that, by the time she was given a pregnancy test, she was 22 weeks pregnant and termination was out of the question.

She claims she should have been given the test when she went to Parklands Medical Practice in Buttershaw Lane to discuss sterilisation.

Miss Collier is claiming damages against Dr Tim Callaghan and Dr Christopher Johnston for personal injury and for the care and maintenance of the twins, Katie and Brett, until they are 18.

Miss Collier, who already had three young children, said: "I would have been about 12 weeks pregnant when we first discussed sterilisation and if the test had been done earlier I would have had a termination - without a doubt.

"After I was sterilised in July, 1995, I was poorly and I put it down to the operation. I hadn't a clue I was pregnant. With the other three I had morning sickness and with one of them I knew I was pregnant before the test.

"But this time I hadn't a clue - I thought I wasn't feeling right because of the operation. I went to see the two doctors on different occasions over the next few weeks and they told me it was just the after effects of the surgery.

"It was only when I saw a third doctor in early October that a pregnancy test was carried out and was positive.

"It was devastating - my whole life just fell apart.

"I was thinking about a career, buying my own house, having holidays - it has turned my whole life upside down."

Katie and Brett were born on February 1, 1996.

"I love them so much now - I wouldn't be without them," she said.

"But it took me 12 months to get used to them - to realise it wasn't their fault.

Miss Collier and her partner, who is the father of all her children, no longer live together because of the trauma but she said: "We still see each other and we're still good friends."

She said she was now on income support and child benefit and spent her time looking after the twins and her other children, eight-year-old Matthew, Kristian, six, and Jordan, five.

Miss Collier's solicitor, Simon Blakeley of Ralph C. Yablon, said: "We are looking for damages in excess of £100,000 to cover her lost earnings until the twins are of school age and the cost of feeding, clothing and caring for them until they are 18."

The GPs at the medical practice declined to comment and referred the T&A to the Leeds-based Medical Protection Society, which is representing them legally.

A spokesman said: " Due to the on-going nature of the case we cannot make any comment at this time."

Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists spokesman Rupert Fawdry said no x-rays or scans were performed before the sterilisation operation.

"A pregnancy cannot be detected during a sterilisation operation, which involves blocking the fallopian tubes outside the womb," he said.

"And a sterilisation operation by itself is very unlikely to cause an abortion if a woman is pregnant."

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