A ST ANNES woman, suffering in agony from soya-oil breast implants, has finally found a solution after almost five years.

Heidi Weber, 34, first spoke to The Citizen in June this year about her terror on discovering her Trilucent breast implants may cause cancer.

And now she is finally to have them removed at Broughton Park Hospital, Preston, just as a multi-million pound deal has been agreed with medical product maker AEI who bought out the Swiss company Trilucent to award every woman who has the implants removed at least £5,250 compensation.

The mother of four said: "I feel like something is really happening now. I've been sick with worry ever since it was revealed the implants could trigger cancer and wanted them out as quick as possible. But I was also far too afraid to return to the same clinic where I had the operation.

"My breasts have been extremely sore since and they have shrunk significantly. I just know something is still not right."

Heidi's father paid £2,465 for the operation at Fulwood Hall private hospital after Heidi was referred there by her local GP and her operation was carried out on March 9,1996. And now Heidi will be admitted to Broughton Park under the care of owner Linda Hanson who said: "We are very happy to take Heidi in and remove her implants and replace them with co-hesive silicone -- that's the one where you cut them in half and it's still solid.

"We have done quite a few removals here now and are actually sanctioned by Trilucent themselves to carry out the operations on their behalf. They pay all the costs and we make very little or no profit from the operations, but it's a service we are very happy to perform.

"As for her compensation I can't possibly comment on that but once Heidi is registered it will automatically set the wheels in motion for her claim to continue."

Women who choose to keep their implants and ignore the safety fears will receive nothing from AEI who could end up paying out in the region of £50m if all affected women elect to have them removed and seek compensation.