A DAY after trade and industry secretary Patricia Hewitt vowed to speed up compensation payments to former miners, we can reveal another victim has died before receiving his full payment.

Ex-miner Charles Evans died six months after he should have received his compensation.

Now the former pitman's battle for justice has become a widow's claim. Mr Evans, (pictured with wife Edith) of Bryn Road, Markham, was 86 when he died, and had worked for 43 years in the mines.

He was 50 per cent disabled due to emphysema, and also had chronic bronchitis. His death certificate lists industrial diseases as one cause of death.

Mr Evans' fight for compensation was featured in the Argus as part of our Justice for Miners campaign. We want compensation payments speeded up to miners with chest diseases, or their widows.

He had received interim payments totalling £5,590, and was visited by a respiratory consultant who carried out the second stage of testing last November. Martin Khan, head of the miners' disease department at Thompsons solicitors in Cardiff, was handling Mr Evans' claim.

He said the government's claims handlers, IRISC, received the latest report in February, and had been in a position to make a full and final offer since then.

"We have had no correspondence with them since February despite chasing them for a full and final offer," said Mr Khan. "Now he has unfortunately passed away, and I feel as though it is going to happen in a lot more cases unless they speed up on full and final settlements."

Charles Evans' son, Terence, 62, of Lillian Road, Blackwood, said he felt "bitter" about his father dying before he received full compensation, despite the fact that he lodged his claim over four years ago.

Mr Evans, who has now taken up his father's fight for compensation, said: "I just feel sorry for the people who haven't got any family to sort these things out because my mother is 86 and in a poor condition.

"I'm sure there are many people like her who are too ill for the fight but haven't got anyone to help them out."

A Department of Trade and Industry spokesman said Mr Evans had gone through the second test because his case was a priority due to his age. He said: "We regret that he did not see his full and final settlement before he died, but glad the agreements secured before now were able to get a total of nearly £5,000 to him."

He said a new agreement recently reached would allow more full and final settlements and interim payments to be made.