Golf resort given £120,000 fine after visitor dies from Legionnaire's disease

A LUXURY Scottish golf resort was fined £120,000 yesterday after a visitor died from Legionnaires' disease contracted during a stay at the four-star leisure complex.

Piperdam Golf & Leisure Resort, near Dundee, was hit with the fine after a breach of health and safety legislation which led to the death of Edward Warnes, 60, in March 2008 after his family spent a week at one of the lodges at the resort.

On their return home to East Anglia, Mr Warnes and his partner became unwell. At the time, they believed that they had flu.

Mr Warnes' partner, who had a short, feverish form of Legionnaires' disease, recovered.

Mr Warnes was admitted to hospital on 9 April, where blood tests confirmed he had Legionnaires' disease. His condition deteriorated and life support was withdrawn on 11 April.

Angus Council established that the strain of legionella bacteria that had caused Mr Warnes' death was present in the hot tub and two of the showerheads in the lodge where the Warnes family stayed at Piperdam.