In the 17 years since the disaster at Lowermoor Treatment Works, local people have complained of a range of health issues ranging from brain damage and memory loss to joint problems. Campaigners said the findings supported their claims, but criticised the authorities' failure to carry out any targeted post mortem examinations on water poisoning victims until now.

Lib Dem peer Lord Tyler, until this year the MP for North Cornwall, said the "scandalous cover-up" of the incident was gradually unravelling. He said: "Inevitably, this investigation will be too late for some victims, and has been thwarted by inadequate medical records and lax monitoring of the 20,000 people, including many children, whose health may have been affected. But better late than never. The accident itself was a real disaster, but the subsequent cover-up was a scandal. The coroner's conclusions today add substantially to the weight of evidence and provide a devastating example of past failures. However, at long last there is a real chance that justice will be seen to be done, and realistic compensation considered."

Out-of-court settlement

In 1991, the then South West Water Authority was convicted at Exeter Crown Court of supplying water likely to endanger public health and fined £10,000, with £25,000 costs. Three years later 148 people won an out-of-court settlement totalling £400,000.


Link to hear BBC programme:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio4/youandyours/ram/2006_01_fri_01.ram