No prosecution over Legionnaires’ deaths

NONE of the companies linked to a deadly outbreak of Legionnaires’ disease in 2012 is to face legal action, it has emerged.

The outbreak in Edinburgh claimed the lives of four people and left 92 others seriously ill – with many still suffering.

The source of the outbreak has never been conclusively proven despite a seven-year probe.

Legionnaires’ disease is a lung infection caused by the Legionella bacteria and spreads through the breathing in of droplets of contaminated water.

The partner of Bert Air, who died following the outbreak, has been notified that proceedings against two firms – Ashland Industries UK Ltd and Macfarlan Smith Ltd – scheduled to start this month, have been dropped by the Crown.

Proceedings against three other firms, North British Distillery Company Ltd, Pera Services Ltd and Chemtech Consultancy Ltd, ended last year when not-guilty pleas were accepted.

Catherine McDonald, 61, who was with Mr Air for 12 years, said: ‘People keep saying it’s about money – it’s not. I want an apology.

‘I want somebody to put their hand up and say “sorry, it was us, we apologise”.

‘To my knowledge, there’s a young lad out there in his 30s who’s still suffering from the actual after effects of Legionnaires’. Give the money to him, he needs it, not us.’

Mr Air, 56, came home ill from a building site in Gorgie, Edinburgh.

He was taken to hospital by his anxious partner but died 12 hours later after a massive heart attack.

A Crown Office spokesman: ‘It is the duty of the Crown to keep cases under review, and after full and careful consideration... Crown Counsel decided that there should be no further proceedings.’