Pontins fined £1,000 after woman dies of Legionnaire's disease
Stock photo: PA
Pontins has been found guilty of breaching health and safety laws and received a nominal £1,000 fine after the death of a woman who fell ill with Legionnaire's disease at one of its holiday parks.
Karen Taylor, from Birmingham, had stayed at the Pontins Holiday Centre in Lytham St Annes in July 2009.
Pontins Ltd, which has now been sold to new owners Britannia Hotels, was found guilty of "serious management failures", which Mr Justice Russell described as "shocking", according to theBBC.
He said he considered imposing a fine of £500,000 but as the company had gone into administration, decided to impose the nominal fine of £1,000 instead.
Mrs Taylor died after staying with her husband in Chalet 229 at the holiday park, which has now been demolished.
Another woman, Margaret Coote, from Chesterfield, who had stayed in the same chalet before Mrs Taylor, also complained of feeling ill two days after she had bathed there.
She later spent five weeks in hospital suffering a heart attack and symptoms associated with Legionnaire's disease.
During the trial held at Preston Crown Court, the jury heard from Kevin Fielding, a water treatment and legionella management contractor hired by Pontins Ltd to conduct annual risk assessments of the camp's water systems.
He said bosses at the park had received a report in January 2009, before Mrs Taylor and Mrs Coote fell ill, that the tank providing water to Chalet 229 needed "a thorough disinfectant clean and a flushing of chlorinated water throughout the pipes", according to theAssociated Press.
Mr Justice Russell said management was "aware of the water temperature problems not only from reports but also from their own employees who expressed their concerns", and that this responsible have "the death of Mrs Taylor on their consciences."
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