New probe begins into bug deaths

Gillian Beckingham was fined over the outbreak

A fresh inquiry is being held into an outbreak of Legionnaires' Disease in Cumbria which led to seven deaths and 200 people being taken ill.

The August 2002 outbreak was traced to an air conditioning unit at a council-run arts centre in Barrow.

Barrow Borough Council and design manager Gillian Beckingham were fined for health and safety breaches.

Now the council is holding its own inquiry which could lead to disciplinary action against staff.

The air conditioning unit had been spraying bacteria-infected steam into an alleyway behind the Forum 28 arts complex, health experts discovered.

In July, Beckingham, 48, was found guilty of one charge of breaching the Health and Safety at Work Act and fined £15,000.

People should be assured that there will not be a cover-up in any possible way Ken Williams, deputy leader of Barrow Council

Barrow Council pleaded guilty to breaching the act and was fined £125,000.

The authority said the majority of the inquiry, to be composed of seven councillors, would be held in private in an effort to encourage witnesses to speak openly.

But the council has promised it will not result in a "whitewash" and will include independent legal advice.

Deputy leader of the Conservative-controlled council, Ken Williams, said: "This is a review and we will look into every aspect of what happened.

"People should be assured that there will not be a cover-up in any possible way. We want to get to the bottom of it."

There has been no time limit set on the length of the inquiry, which will hear evidence from Ms Beckingham who is currently on sick leave.

Those were died in the outbreak were Richard Macauley, 88; Wendy Milburn, 56; Georgina Somerville, 54; Harriet Low, 74; Christine Merewood, 55; Elizabeth Dixon, 80 and June Miles 56.