The distraught gay partner of Soho nailbomb victim John Light will not receive a penny in compensation - because of his sexuality.
On Friday it was revealed the Criminal Injuries Compensation Board does not give payouts to anyone other than "those living as husband and wife".
And a spokesman has confirmed the Board did not consider that to mean same sex couples.
John Light, of Mill Street, Colchester, was killed in the blast in London's theatreland on April 30.
His boyfriend Gary Partridge, who he lived with, was injured in the blast's fallout and spent weeks receiving treatment in Chelmsford for horrific burns.
The bomb also claimed the life of Colchester mum-to-be Andrea Dykes and left her husband Julian in a coma for three weeks.
He came round in a London hospital to discover his 27-year-old wife and unborn child had been killed on the fateful day in the Admiral Duncan pub.
Mr Dykes, 26, of Taragona Mews, Colchester, should expect to receive several thousands of pounds for the loss of his loved one whereas Mr Partridge, 34, will be left empty-handed.
He told a national newspaper he was not interested in the money but it was the principle that was at stake.
A spokesman for the Criminal Injuries Compensation Board - an agency for the Home Office - admitted that a gay lover would not be entitled to a payout under the existing rules.
He said they were periodically updated, but the last time they were reviewed, in 1996, no mention was made of same sex couples, and the rules which were first introduced in the 1960s were largely unchanged.
Converted for the new archive on 19 November 2001. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules hereComments are closed on this article