Widower wants bug death memorial

Water droplets containing the bacteria showered an alley outside

The husband of a woman who died in the Cumbrian Legionnaires' disease outbreak has called on a council to erect a memorial to the victims.

Bill Merewood's wife Christine, 55, was one of seven deaths in Barrow in 2002 blamed on a faulty air conditioning system at a council-run arts centre.

A coroner, speaking at the close of the inquest into the deaths on Thursday, said Barrow Council ignored warnings.

Mr Merewood said he hoped the authority would now put up remembrance plaque.

A letter from the council expressing their regret would have gone a long way to easing our hurt Bill Merewood

Speaking on Friday, he said it was time for the council to apologise to the victims' families.

"We would like a small memorial plaque put up somewhere by the council, so we know they appreciate the remembrance of our departed ones and those that were ill.

"I realise that earlier they had constraints of criminal proceedings but I think a letter from the council and its chief executive expressing their regret would have gone a long way to easing our hurt."

Coroner Ian Smith described Barrow Council's health and safety regime as a "shambles" and said no-one from the authority had taken responsibility for checking the air-conditioning unit at the Forum 28 centre.

He recorded five verdicts of death as a direct consequence of an outbreak of Legionnaires' disease.

Design manager

The other two people, he said, died from natural causes but Legionnaires' disease had been a contributory factor.

Mrs Merewood, of Barrow, was a mother-of-two.

The six others who died were Richard Macauley, 89, Wendy Milburn, 56, Georgina Sommerville, 54, Harriet Low, 74, Elizabeth Dixon, 80 and June Miles, 56.

A further 180 people were infected.

Barrow Council was later cleared of corporate manslaughter following the deaths, but fined £125,000 for breaching health and safety laws.

The council's then design services manager, Gillian Beckingham, was convicted of health and safety breaches but cleared of manslaughter.