Fiona Castle has accused the Roy Castle Lung Cancer Foundation of treating its staff badly.

The concerns come two years after Mrs Castle resigned as a patron of the Liverpool-based charity.

However, the foundation said it was not aware of Mrs Castle's concerns and would carry on its work with or without her late husband's name.

Our relationship has always been amicable, so this is very much out of the blue Mike Unger, Roy Castle Lung Cancer Foundation

Mrs Castle said: "I have had enough. I'm not prepared to allow Roy's name to be associated with the charity any longer."

She said that since standing down she has been deeply concerned over how the charity is run.

She alleges its former chief fundraiser Sylvia Ingham was forced out and said charity shop workers said they were treated "like slaves".

Mrs Castle said she did not want the good name of her husband, who died from lung cancer in 1994, to be ruined.

Mr Castle was diagnosed with cancer in 1990, a victim of passive smoking.

Problems 'resolved'

Foundation chief executive Mike Unger said he had not seen an e-mail from Mrs Castle requesting the name removal because he is on holiday.

He said: "We spoke before Christmas and... there was not a hint of any problems.

"Our relationship has always been amicable, so this is very much out of the blue."

Mr Unger only took up his position with the charity three months ago and said he thought the problems of two years ago had been resolved.

He said he had received no complaints from any of the charity's employees and hopes to discuss Mrs Castle's concerns with her in the new year.