There has been much criticism of the compensation culture which has grown in recent years, and rightly so.

TV advertisements which proclaim that "where there's pain, there's blame" have encouraged a flurry of claims, many of them frivolous.

The upshot is that insurance premiums have risen sharply, and activities in many areas of life are being curtailed because the risks of being sued are considered to be too great.

But there is no doubt that the claims of retired Cowley car workers fall outside this category.

Anyone who has experience of, or has read about, the conditions in the early days of Morris Motors and Pressed Steel will know what many of them had to endure.

Two of the most striking features were the horrendous noise from machinery and lack of safety. Some workers were killed or seriously injured, while others suffered deafness, asbestosis, lead poisoning and other lifelong afflictions.

Only now are survivors able to claim compensation, and few will argue that they are not entitled to it.

The only sadness is that for many of the workers, now in their 70s and 80s, the money is coming so late in their lives.