A Hindu woman has won £4,000 in damages after a surgeon gave her a nose job using "sacred" cow cartilage without her knowledge.

The woman, who has asked not to be named, said she would never have consented to the procedure had she known as cattle are revered in her religion.

The 34-year-old says she was always self conscious about a small lump on the bridge of her nose and a slight bend, believing they spoiled her looks.

She was referred to surgeon Leo Stassen at Sunderland General Hospital who agreed to carry out the Rhinoplasty reconstructive surgery on the NHS.

But despite three consultations about the procedure she says she was never told about the cattle implant.

The woman, an educational administrator, originally from East Boldon. Sunderland, went under the knife in 1994.

She said: "The Rhinoplasty was to reduce the lump and straighten my nose. There was never any mention of implants from my own body and certainly no mention of bovine implants."

The woman, a doctor's daughter, launched a six year court battle for compensation and this week accepted a settlement of £4,000.

But, still coming to terms with the operation, she says she now faces a bill of more than £11,000 to have the matter rectified.

Now living in London, she said: "I would never have agreed to it had I been told. "

City Hospitals Sunderland said the payment had been made with no admission of liability but it expressed sympathy for any discomfort the woman felt.

Updated: 17.05 Friday, July 13