A LAWYER has accused the Government of "offending any sense of justice" in its refusal to allow failed Vibration White Finger (VWF) claimants to seek a resolution through the courts.

Roger Maddocks, a partner at Newcastle personal injury firm Irwin Mitchell, said the Government was refusing to honour previous commitments to treat miners fairly and pay compensation.

More than 100,000 VWF cases have been settled and £1.2bn awarded to former miners under a Government-backed compensation scheme set up in 1999.

But a small number of claimants continue to be in dispute with the Government.

Mr Maddocks, a member of the VWF claimants solicitors' group, said between 200 and 300 former miners in the North-East, who were in this position, were keen for the courts to rule on their claims, since they could not be resolved by negotiation.

But the Department of Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform (DBERR) - formerly the DTI - says they should embark on a fresh legal claim and fund the legal costs themselves.

Mr Maddocks said: "The Government's approach offends any sense of justice.

"While they continue to drag their feet in this way, VWF sufferers are unable to turn to the courts promptly to resolve any disputes.

"This means the Government's claim handlers can effectively act as judge and jury, rejecting a claim without a proper basis for doing so.

"Many elderly miners are simply not in a position to embark on a fresh claim."

Vibration White Finger is caused by vibrating power tools and leads to a numbing sensation in fingers, hands and arms, rendering sufferers effectively disabled.

A spokeswoman for DBERR said it was keen for disputes to be dealt with under the current arrangements.

She said: "There is the final option of mediation which the department is prepared to consider where appropriate and where a request has been made in a timely manner.

"However, rather than requesting mediation, claimants have sought to take claims outside the scheme by litigating cases on an individual basis."