ON the second anniversary of the launch of our justice for miners campaign, the widow who was the inspiration for it all still has not received a single penny for her husband's suffering.

Alice Morgan, (pictured) of Glyncoed, Ebbw Vale, has spent three years waiting for her husband's illness and death from chest diseases to be acknowledged with a cash award. Her husband lodged his claim 12 years ago. Yet she has not even received an interim payment.

And all that, despite all the promises of Tony Blair and a succession of energy ministers to speed up the process.

Now, her disgust over the delays in the compensation process for pitmen suffering from chest diseases like emphysema and bronchitis is one of the reasons why we are continuing our campaign as strongly as ever.

Mrs Morgan, 74, nursed her husband Henry throughout his illness until his death in 1996. She told us: "All I want is justice is for my husband."

The Department of Trade and Industry says it is investigating.

Writing in the Argus today, energy minister Brian Wilson gives his "absolute assurance" the government is doing everything possible to speed payments to miners and their widows.

Over the past two years we have highlighted story after story about the delays to the compensation process - of miners who have died without seeing a penny and the families of dead miners whose battle for justice goes on. We launched a petition calling for £10,000 to be paid out immediately for valid claims, with the paperwork being sorted out afterwards.

That, we said, would at least ensure the scandal, of miners dying without any payouts, would be stopped. In all, 25,000 of you signed the petition, which was delivered to the government.

Mrs Morgan said: "Of all the miners and widows that I know, none has received any payment and I think it is terrible because they are dying without getting a penny."