Did the UK government cover up a water contamination disaster?
British police are currently investigating claims that the authorities covered-up what may well be Britain’s worst ever water poisoning disaster.
Close to 20 years ago, in the Cornish town of Camelford, thousands of people were poisoned after contaminated water was pumped into their houses.
The alleged cover-up may have led to further health problems, following the incident in which a dangerous chemical was accidentally dumped into a tank which supplied water to 20,000 residents.
Health complaints
Since the time of the poisoning, local residents have been complaining of a wide range of health issues, including brain damage, memory loss and joint problems.
Claims of a cover-up centre around the fact that the Department of Health allegedly knew right from the beginning that some residents were at especially high risk from aluminium poisoning.
It is also claimed that this vital evidence was deliberately suppressed, in order to protect the Government’s plans for privatisation of the water industry.
Police investigation
The police investigation was ordered by a coroner after an inquest into the deaths of two local women.
Both of the women lived in the affected Camelford area at the time of the contamination and both died with levels of aluminium in their brain that were much higher than usual.
Lord Tyler, Member of Parliament for North Cornwall between 1992 and 2005, said
This seems to be a case of ‘better late than never’.
For nearly two decades Lowermoor water poisoning victims have demanded a real, open investigation into the cover-up which followed the incident.
After years of dissembling from Conservative and Labour Ministers, it has taken the initiative of a coroner to get answers. I anticipate that the police will want to interview all the politicians involved.
Following a trial at Exeter Crown Court in 1991, South West Water Authority were fined £10,000 plus a further £25,000 for costs for supplying water likely to endanger public health.
In 1994, 148 victims of the poisoning incident reached a settlememnt out of court. Each received a sum between £680 and £10,000.
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