Legionnaire’s disease ‘found in London train station’
By politics.co.uk staff
Evidence of the potentially fatal Legionnaire’s disease was found in one of London’s busiest commuter stations, politics.co.uk‘s sister website has learnt.
Gentleman’s toilets at Ealing Broadway station in west London, a popular commuter hub, were closed last week after traces of the rare form of pneumonia were discovered, inthenews.co.uk has discovered.
The toilets have since been reopened after a “deep clean” according to First Great Western but local residents and commuters could be concerned as the dangerous bacteria were found in one of the taps.
“The toilet was closed for a deep clean,” said First Great Western spokesman Dan Panes.
“Earlier in the week, we have standard testing on a regular basis and one small sample was found in one of the taps that we were told didn’t pose any risk to our customers.”
Mr Panes confirmed that the health inspectors – the rail company’s own – had only tested for legionella bacteria at the source but “were quite clear that it was technical positive result that posed no risk to our customers.”
The reports of legionella bacteria surfacing in the capital come just days after the Australian government was accused of covering up a contamination of its parliament house.
The UK’s worst outbreak of Legionnaire’s disease occurred in Barrow-in-Furness, Cumbria, in 2002.
Six women and one man died as a result of the illness, while a further 172 contracted Legionnaire’s after a cooling tower at the Cumbria town’s arts centre was found to have been contaminated.
Barrow Borough Council was charged with corporate manslaughter after the event but was later cleared, though breaches of the Health and Safety at Work Act were admitted and the council paid £125,000 in fines.
