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An aspiring model who lost his memory after he contracted the herpes virus has been given a £5 million compensation package.

The man’s memory was wrecked from a rare illness in the brain, leaving him with nearly no recall of recent events and disjointed memories of his past life.

His lawyers had claimed he was negligently treated in 2008 at the Royal Hampshire Hospital.

In a ruling at the High Court in London, a top judge called the impact of the virus on the man’s life as “quite disastrous”.

His dreams of a top modelling career were devastated by herpes simplex encephalitis, Judge Neil Bidder said.

The man, who cannot be identified because he is vulnerable, has behavioural problems related to the memory loss.

He is difficult to cope with and tends not to co-operate with those trying to help, the court heard.

Winchester and Eastleigh Healthcare NHS Trust admitted liability.

On Wednesday, Judge Neil Bidder approved a settlement involving a £2.5 million lump sum and tax-free annual payments to cover the cost of lifelong care.

The payments will be increased if early onset dementia develops.