A coroner attacked the Government for refusing to fund research that could show whether Britain's worst water poisoning disaster killed anyone.

In 1988 a lorry driver poured 20 tonnes of aluminium sulphate into the wrong tank at the Lowermoor treatment works at Camelford in Cornwall  -  contaminating the water supplied to 20,000 homes.

Locals say the accident led to cases of vomiting, skin burns, brain damage, memory loss and joint problems  -  and up to 20 deaths. They accuse the Government of covering up the scale of the disaster, which happened in the run up to the privatisation of the water board.

Poisoned: Lowermoor Water Treatment Works where a lorry driver tipped 20 tonnes of aluminium into the wrong container in 1988

West Somerset coroner Michael Rose opened inquests into the deaths of Carol Cross, 58, and Irene Neal, 91, after large amounts of aluminium were found in their brains.

Mrs Cross, whose husband is an environmental scientist, had been investigating the disaster.

Her inquest was due to be held in November in Taunton, but has now been adjourned 'with considerable reluctance' so further tests can take place.

Professor Margaret Esiri at John Radcliffe Hospital, Oxford, and by Dr Chris Exley at Keele University, Staffordshire, were appointed for the task.

The case of a second victim Irene Neal, of Rock, North Cornwall, who died last year, will go ahead as planned, the coroner confirmed.

Mr Rose said: 'Post-mortems have shown that both women had higher than normal levels of aluminium in their brains. In the case of Mrs Cross, the levels were abnormally high and there were also significant signs of congophilic amyloid angiopathy.

'In order to establish the consequences of the deceased having such a high level of aluminium, it was necessary to carry out research to test the hypothesis of a link between exposure to aluminium and congophilic amyloid angiopathy.'

Mr Rose said the Government had refused 'to either finance or assist' the research into the effects of aluminium in the brain.

He said he had to seek support from Somerset County Council so Professor Margaret Esiri, one of the country's leading neuropathologists, and Dr Chris Exley of Keele University, an expert on aluminium exposure, could carry out the work which was 'first such project worldwide,'

For nearly two decades the victims of the blunder have demanded full investigation.

After a trial at Exeter Crown Court in 1991, the South West Water Authority was fined £10,000 with £25,000 costs for supplying water likely to endanger public health.

Three years later, 148 victims of the incident reached an out of court settlement, with payments ranging from £680 to £10,000.