THE Law Society is to make ex-gratia advance payments to former miners who have yet to be compensated for receiving inadequate professional services from their solicitors.

There have been cases of solicitors refusing to pay miners for the mis-handling of compensation cases, despite having been told to do so by independent complaints body the Legal Complaints Service.

The Law Society, which represents solicitors, has said some firms are deferring payments until individuals appear at misconduct hearings organised by the Solicitors Disciplinary Tribunal (SDT).

As a gesture, and in a bid to shortcut the process, it is proposing to pay about 200 each to at least 40 ex-miners who complained successfully about their treatment and have yet to receive a payment.

But both figures could eventually rise with the society thought to be ready to put aside funds of up to 100,000.

Des Hudson, chief executive of the Law Society, said that as the law stood awards made by the Legal Complaints Service were only enforceable until after the matter had been referred to the SDT and it had ordered the solicitors to pay.

He said: "We are concerned that miners should not be disadvantaged by the delay these hearings inevitably create.

"We are also conscious that most of those involved are elderly and infirm so the Law Society has decided to make these payments to shortcut the process."

Mr Hudson said that it expected to eventually recover the majority of the sums it was paying out from solicitors themselves.

In May last year The Northern Echo revealed how not one solicitor had been dealt with by the SDT over allegations they had plundered miners compensation cash.

Some law firms took cuts from miners payouts for lung disease and Vibration White Finger after failing to make them aware that all the administrative costs involved were being paid by the Government.

Since then 15 solicitors from four law firms in Abergavenny, Barnsley, Cardiff and Stockport have appeared before the tribunal.

The majority have each been fined varying amounts between £2,500 and £15,000, while a small number received reprimands.

North Durham MP Kevan Jones said he hoped the creation of a new regulator, the Legal Services Board, would tackle many of the problems in this area.