Hearing into death bug outbreak

The outbreak was traced to an air-conditioning unit at Forum 28

A hearing into a Legionnaires' disease outbreak in 2002 in which seven people died is to be held in a Cumbrian town.

The source was traced to the Forum 28 centre in Barrow, and the council and an official were later fined breaching the Health and Safety at Work Act.

Two public meetings in the town will identify lessons learned and allow those affected to express concerns.

Although not a full public inquiry, it will contribute to a Health and Safety Executive (HSE) report.

Almost 200 people were also made ill during the outbreak in August 2002.

The meetings have been organised by the HSE at the request of Barrow's MP John Hutton, and representatives from the organisations which dealt with and investigated the outbreak will be present.

'Valuable lessons'

They will be chaired by Colin Pickthall, the former Labour MP for West Lancashire, and held at the Abbey House Hotel in the town on 4 and 11 December.

Mr Pickthall said: "The purpose of the hearing is to provide an opportunity for members of the public, especially the families of those who died, the people who suffered illness and the wider community of Barrow, to learn about the circumstances and the causes of the outbreak.

"They will have the opportunity to ask questions in an independently chaired public forum, and to help identify lessons of value both for Barrow and more widely."

Barrow Borough Council pleaded guilty to a breach of the Health and Safety at Work Act, and was fined £125,000 at Preston Crown in July 2006.

Their employee Gillian Beckingham was convicted under Section 7 of the Act, and fined £15,000 on the same date.

Both the council and Mrs Beckingham were found not guilty of manslaughter.