Ex-miners have received £1.7bn in compensation

The government says legal charges imposed on former miners making claims for industrial injuries should be paid back to them.

It follows the case of miner Rodney Bochenski, 49, from Nottinghamshire, who told how he handed his claim to a firm of solicitors and agreed to pay them a chunk of his financial settlement.

If he had taken help from his union then his legal advice would have been free.

On Thursday government minister for trade and industry, Nigel Griffiths said all compensation should go to claimants without anyone taking a share of it.

The decision follows campaigning by Nottingham North MP Graham Allen who said some solicitors deducted fees even though the legal costs were covered by the government.

Some miners have paid up to 25% of their claims to solicitors - in one case more than £5,000 - because they agreed to unnecessary "no win no fee" contracts.

The payments mostly relate to miners who have suffered from breathing problems such as chronic bronchitis and emphysema.