Court overturns ruling against BOC

INDUSTRIAL gases group BOC has won an appeal in the US courts, reversing almost all of a $174m (£95m) award made against it.

Shares in the group added 16 1/2p to 887p after it said an appeals court had turned around a 2003 ruling against the company and its Fluorogas unit.

The case related to an alleged breach of an agreement by Fluorogas before it was bought by BOC in 2001. BOC said its only liability from the action was $170,000 in damages plus costs and fees.

The company is fighting a flurry of US lawsuits involving health claims related to welding fumes. Its has not made welding rods there since 1986 but it sells those made by other manufacturers.

It has maintained there is no scientific evidence to support any of the claims, some of which have already been thrown out.