Mittals' £15m gift to Great Ormond Street is a record

The son of Britain's wealthiest man has donated £15 million to Great Ormond Street hospital.

The sum from Aditya Mittal, heir to steel billionaire Lakshmi Mittal, is the largest the children's hospital has received.

It will be used to help fund a £321 million medical unit for children with problems such as heart and lung conditions.

The Mittal Children's Medical Centre is part of a plan to redevelop and modernise the hospital and will increase its patient capacity by almost a quarter.

Great Ormond Street said the donation would make a huge impact on improving care. Chief Executive Dr Jane Collins said: "This support really is tremendous news. We face increasing demand for our services but we also need to offer care in a less stressful way.

"With such amountain to climb in terms of the finance, this investment from the Mittal family is very heartening and gives us the confidence to go forward."

Aditya Mittal - whose individual earnings top £3 million a year - is finance director and president of the family corporation Arcelor Mittal which is the world's largest steel firm. His father is worth more than £15 billion and is known for his lavish gestures. They include spending £30 million on his daughter Vanisha's five-day wedding celebrations in Paris. The businessman also bought Formula One supremo Bernie Ecclestone's house in Kensington Palace Gardens for £70 million.

The Great Ormond Street donation has been made jointly with the younger Mr Mittal's wife, Megha,whom he met at the Wharton business school in America.

The couple said the hospital does "outstanding" work in the field of children's health, adding: "Through this contribution, we hope that more children will be able to access appropriate medical care." Past high profile donations to the hospital have included £11 million from Daily Telegraph owners the Barclay Brothers. Actor Johnny Depp is also a public supporter of Great Ormond Street.

Financiers Morgan Stanley also donated £10 million in October last year for the Morgan Stanley Clinical Building, the largest corporate donation in the hospital's history.

Great Ormond Street has a world class reputation for its pioneering treatment for children.

But many of its existing facilities are cramped and crowded meaning families cannot stay near their children. The Mittal Children's Medical Centre will enable every child to stay overnight in comfort.