'Lethal' droplets showered public

Gillian Beckingham denies all charges

A trial into one of the UK's worst outbreaks of Legionnaire's Disease has heard how bacteria-laden droplets of water showered on people "like rain".

Cumbria architect Gillian Beckingworth denies the unlawful deaths of seven victims of the 2002 outbreak in Barrow.

Barrow Borough Council denies the same charges, but has admitted breaching health and safety regulations.

Preston Crown Court heard from survivors of the outbreak, which affected almost 200 people.

On the second day of the hearing, the court was told how contaminated water spread from the air conditioning system at the Forum 28 arts centre in Barrow in August 2002.

There was so much spray coming from the building and into an alleyway, that survivor Derrick Baker told the court he "actually thought it was raining".

'Courting disaster'

Just months earlier, Barrow Borough Council worker Gillian Beckingham, 47, had cancelled the contract which ensured the air conditioning system at Forum 28 was kept clean and safe, the jury was told.

Without such maintenance work, the system provided "an almost perfect breeding ground for the Legionella bacteria".

Alistair Webster QC, prosecuting, said that Ms Beckingham's failure to maintain the system "was simply courting disaster" and that she "was the prime cause of the tragedy which unfolded".

Accusing her of seven counts of manslaughter, he added: "Her decisions led directly to the outbreak."

Richard Macauley, 89, Wendy Milburn, 56, Georgina Somerville, 54, Harriet Low, 74, Elizabeth Dixon, 80, June Miles, 56, and Christine Merewood, 55, all from Barrow, died in the outbreak.

Ms Beckingham also denies breaching health and safety laws.