Firm closes after Legionnaires' deaths

Three people died after contracting Legionnaires' Disease

A plastics company fined £70,000 after three people died from Legionnaires' disease is to close.

IMCO Plastics, of Glastonbury, Somerset, was identified as the source of an outbreak of the illness in 1998.

Three visitors to a B&Q garden centre next to the IMCO factory - Virginia Wall, 75, Mike Caroll, 72, and Rita Spencer, 68 - all died after contracting the disease.

Eight other people who became ill later recovered, but teacher Andrew Parfitt suffered permanent brain damage.

On Wednesday the firm was fined £70,000 after it admitted breaching Health and Safety at Work regulations.

The company was told it could have faced higher financial penalties, but Judge Mr Justice Gray said he did not want to put 119 workers' jobs at risk.

But on Thursday it emerged the workers could be made redundant anyway after IMCO Plastics announced it was to close.

Staff at the plant have been told the business will be wound down within days and that redundancies are "likely".