The owners of a hotel where a guest died of legionnaires' disease have been fined thousands of pounds each for breaching hygiene regulations.

Salesman Chris Lewis, 44, of Meads, Eastbourne, fell ill during an eight-day stay at the Woodville Hotel while on business in Nottingham two years ago.

Tony Smith, of Calverton, and son Glenn, who is unemployed and lives in Mallorca, admitted breaching health and safety guidelines.

At Nottingham Crown Court yesterday, Iain McDonald, prosecuting, said council investigators found legionella bacteria, which cause the disease when inhaled, in the water supply to Mr Lewis's room. They found no procedure was in place to inspect and maintain the system.

No risk assessment had taken place and the hotel's health and safety policy was described as inadequate.

During his stay at the hotel, Mr Lewis felt feverish and suffered shortness of breath, loss of appetite and a headache.

When he returned home to partner Claire Ledwith, his condition worsened and he was admitted to hospital.

He was discharged with antibiotics after being diagnosed with an infection.

He was later readmitted to Eastbourne District General Hospital but died a week later. Tests showed he had contracted the most common strain of legionella bacteria.

A few hundred cases of legionnaires' disease occur in England and Wales each year.

Miss Ledwith told an inquest last year: "Chris was fit and healthy.

"He would phone me every night while at the exhibition. At first he said he was tired but he wouldn't complain. He wouldn't want to worry me."

Mr McDonald said it was the Smiths' responsibility to ensure regular inspections and maintenance of the hotel's water system.

Woodville Hotel Ltd, set up in 1965, went into liquidation last August as a result of the adverse publicity generated by the investigation.

Dominic Nolan, defending, said the pair previously had an unblemished record and there was not enough evidence to prove Mr Lewis's death was a direct consequence of his stay.

Recorder Christopher Goodchild said: "I'm not sentencing you for killing someone. What you're charged with is a failure to install a proper inspection system."

He fined the Smiths £6,000 each and ordered them to pay a further £7,500 costs each.

Mr Lewis's twin brother David, a journalist from West Yorkshire, said: "No fine can ever make up for the loss of a loved one. But I hope this will send out a strong message to other businesses.