NOTES ON THE MEETING OF THE LOWERMOOR SUPPORT GROUP
2 5 06
Peter Smith – homeopath )
Doug Cross – ecologist ) on committee of enquiry
Nigel Jones – musician
Peter Bright – Solicitor
Lord Tyler
Doug Cross was first to speak said that what happened to Carol, his wife, was not Alzheimer’s, but she had died within two years. The development of Beta ameloid – was in her blood vessels. If more people have this condition it will bring the scientific community to bear on Camelford. We have no idea how many people would have developed Alzheimer’s or Parkinsons. There has been no screening. Missing documents from the Devon and Cornwall Police have turned up in Yorkshire. Rumours about the children who were fed orange juice. We need evidence to put before the committee. Do not hold back – please contact me. Julian Rush on Channel 4 made a report on the cover-up. Not told what had happened at the express decision of the top man in the Water Authority. Contacted the Poisons Unit at Guy’s Hospital. Local reporter’s wife threatened, his mother was a research scientist who experimented with rats which developed brain damage from drinking their mothers’ milk. Her work has never been published. Medical records changed or disappeared. Anonymous letter from DoH suggesting that local GPs should tell people that things are OK.
Carol’s death has caused the committee great confusion. Toxicological risk assessment – my wife’s condition is now official. We are now dealing with possible corporate manslaughter. The mantra was ‘ no long term serious effects expected’ was the official line before Carol’s death. The scientific community is convinced this is an important case. I do not know if Carol did accepting her exposure – she took a blue bath, but if others die similarly that will be enough. The post mortem on another lady did not look for evidence of linkage. It is negligent that no post mortems look for this. If the same condition is only found here it will be community evidence. My coroner wants to know of any other cases – he is in touch with the coroner in Truro.
We will only win if everyone pulls together. Now is the time to hit them (DoH) hard.
Peter Bright, Solicitor – this group is taking a step forward but everyone must be clear that the legal system is not up to this task. Huge problems because of the cover-up, but now the evidence is coming out. Enough evidence coming through which is worth investigating from the legal point of view and soon, with more co-operation, that could be breakthrough point. To have an autopsy put it in your will, then it becomes binding on your executors. It is helpful to put it on your doctors’ notes, but not binding.
Doug said that it is useful to say that ‘she may have been killed unlawfully’. As he did when Carol died.
A lady said from the floor that she had paid a great deal of money for a urine test which showed that she had heavy metal toxicity. We do not have to wait until we die.
Paul Tyler apologised for the absence of Dan Rogerson who was in the Commons. I am going to go on making trouble to get justice. The legal system is hopeless in group cases like this. It does not accept causal connection. Michael Meacher came to Cornwall to say nothing could be done. His mind was changed during his visit and we now have a chance to try to get to the bottom of some of the problems. He paid tribute to Doug and Peter – without them there would be another whitewash. We needed two representatives and that is a huge opportunity. The first term of reference for the investigation – the way in which the whole issue had been handled at the time and immediately afterwards – lo and behold was excluded. This is now happening. I have always believed the most critical issue is to make sure there is better medical screening, records of all ages (full health analysis). This must never happen again. The moment of danger is when people try to cover up. It was a terrible accident and affected a huge number of my constituents. That could have resulted in instant attention to the medical issues. The sense of injustice is akin to Watergate – it was not the original problem but the way in which it was covered up. We can still reach some valid conclusions.
Doug – we are in a position of enormous power now.