MANSLAUGHTER charges are being brought against Barrow Borough Council and one of its officials for causing the deaths of seven people who died from the August 2002 outbreak of Legionnaire's Disease.

After months of police investigations the council's design services manager Gillian Beckingham, 45, has been bailed to appear before Furness Magistrates Court on February 24.

Alongside the borough council she will be accused of accidentaly causing the deaths of everyone who died in the Barrow outbreak that was linked to the air conditioning unit at the council-run arts complex Forum 28.

A total of 140 people were infected with the disease in what was one of Britain's worst ever outbreaks.

Both parties will face a further charge of a health and safety offence under section 3 of the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974.

Cumbria Police spokesman Mike Smith explained that the charges had been brought against the council as an organisation and one of its officers as an individual after months of police investigation and liason with the Crown Prosecution Service and the Health and Safety Executive.

In law the test of whether a company or authority is guilty of manslaughter or not is intrinsically linked to whether a senior manager - known as a 'controlling mind and will' of the company - is guilty of manslaughter.

If the manager is found guilty, the company is guilty; if the manager is found innocent, the company is innocent.

The charges brought against Ms Beckingham and the borough council relate to the seven victims who were all from Barrow.

They were Richard Macaulay, 88, of Smeaton Street; Wendy Millburn, 56, of Latona Street; Georgina Somerville, 54, of Gloucester Street; Harriet Low, 74, of Longway; Elizabeth Dixon, 80, of Greengate Street; June Miles, 56, of Westway and Christine Merewood, 55, of Holbeck Park Avenue.