A FREE trades union legal clinic for miners suffering from lung disease was abandoned when it was found that the premises were double booked together with a private compensation advice company.

The clinic should have taken place at Burnley Miners Club in Plumbe Street yesterday.

The premises were booked three weeks ago but Newcastle based IDC, which offers paid-for advice on compensation, also booked a room at the club for the same day.

TUC representative for the North West Alec McFadden called it off when he realised the situation.

He said : "We want to disassociate ourselves from the company.

"Our services are free while they charge a registration fee and take a percentage of the compensation."

The TUC team now intend to return on July 1, again from 11am to 3pm.

Mr McFadden said: "The legal clinic is to help miners who suffered from emphysema or the widows.

"IDC had also booked the club. We left because we were put on the first floor and people with emphysema cannot walk upstairs anyway. "We have arranged to do some home visits and continue to be available on the free phone service 0500 501124.

"Our service, which includes two solicitors, is totally free.

"We want every miner, or their widow, to get all the money they are entitled to. But at the end of the day it is a free country and if people decide to use the company it is up to them."

Marketing manager for IDC John Ashton said: "It is unfortunate the club was double booked.

"I was here four or five weeks ago screening club members for potential claimants. We have seen 11 people here today by appointment and another five or six on top of that."

Mr Ashton added: "We are an independent company and provide a no win, no fee service all over the country.

"We have a £35 registration fee which is refundable in the event of a claim not being successful. We take a percentage of successful compensation in the region of 12 per cent.''

Converted for the new archive on 14 July 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.