The Catholic Church in Los Angeles has reached a financial deal with more than 500 people alleging sexual abuse by priests, the plaintiffs' lawyer says.

The deal, said to be for $660m (£324m), has yet to be approved by a judge.

It would be the biggest compensation payment the Church has made since the sexual abuse scandal erupted in 2002.

It would take the total paid out by the Church in the US to $2bn since 1950, with the LA diocese paying about one quarter of that.

The settlement figures have not yet been officially announced.

The diocese is expected to sell property to raise the compensation funds.

Ray Boucher, lead plaintiff lawyer in the case, said the settlement also called for the release of confidential priest personnel files.

Healing process

Steven Sanchez, a plaintiff in the case, said he was both relieved and disappointed by the outcome.

The diocese has not yet commented on the settlement but said Church officials planned to be in court on Monday morning.

In a recent letter to parishioners, Cardinal Roger Mahony said the Church would be selling an administrative building and was considering the sale of about 50 other Church properties to raise funds for settlement.

Since 2002 nearly 1,000 people have filed such claims against the Roman Catholic Church in California alone.

In February 2004, a report commissioned by the Church said more than 4,000 Roman Catholic priests in the US had faced sexual abuse allegations in the last 50 years.

PHOTO CAPTION

In this file photo, members of the Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests, SNAP, protest outside Cathedral of Our Lady of the Angels, seat of the Archdiocese of Los Angeles, in September 2006. (AP)