Ex-miner hit by cancer is given £73k damages

A 92-YEAR-OLD man suffering from asbestos-related cancer has been awarded £73,890 damages by the High Court.

Dennis Ball, from Beeston, has been battling against mesothelioma – a cancer of the lining of the lungs notorious for its incurability and for the pain endured by its victims.

At the High Court, in London, the Department of Energy and Climate Change admitted that Mr Ball was exposed to asbestos at Sutton Colliery and Moorgreen Colliery, both in Notts, where he worked between 1967 and 1985.

Widow in £150k compensation bid

A woman whose partner died from a cancer linked to asbestos has launched a legal battle for compensation of up to £150,000.

Gerald Giles, 81, died from malignant mesothelioma, a cancer of the tissues surrounding his lungs, after being exposed to asbestos to work.

Now his partner Marion Collins is demanding damages from his former employers Nicholls and Shoosmith, of Blackboys, Uckfield.

Mr Giles was exposed to deadly asbestos dust and fibres when he worked for the company as an apprentice carpenter in the 40s and 50s, according to a High Court writ.

Mr Giles, of Fairfield Lodge, Eastbourne, developed chest pain, a cough, and general debility, underwent surgery, and knew that his condition was fatal.

He died some eight years earlier than he should have done, taking into account his history of heart disease, and he needed increasing care and assistance in his last few weeks, says the writ.

Deadly Asbestos in London Underground

Asbestos is “all over the place” on London Underground. Alan Jenkins, a Tube signal worker said:

“The east end of the Central line is in a bad way. The asbestos is above and beyond anywhere else on the whole of the Underground system. They have painted it with encapsulating paint. The concern we have got is that paint could easily chip off and expose the asbestos. No matter what, they won’t remove it. It costs too much money and takes too long. They are going to leave it there. So we’re trying to get safety measures put in place, which have been partially successful. But then there are still whole departments working down there without adequate procedures to deal with it”

Open verdict on woman exposed to asbestos

An inquest into the death of housewife Lydia Cummings, 89, heard that she died at the Joseph Weld Hospice last November 3 of bronchial pneumonia due to malignant mesothelioma.

Mr Johnston said the evidence provided to him suggested that it was ‘highly likely’ Mrs Cummings was exposed to asbestos when she was living in Germany.

This he said would have been while washing the work clothes of her brother and his son when they worked in heavy industry, however this could not be proved.

He said: “While I think it is highly likely that at some stage in her life, particularly in the turbulent years after the war, she was exposed to asbestos, I shall have to record an open verdict.”

Family tribute after asbestos death

The family of a grandfather who died suddenly due to asbestos exposure have warned how quickly the disease can take hold.

Martin Seex, 62, of Silver Street, Witham, died on November 4 last year from mesothelioma, a rare form of cancer associated with exposure to asbestos.

Mr Seex had worked for Walter Reynolds Engineers for over thirty years.

During his five-year apprenticeship, which started when after he left school in 1965, Mr Seex worked in a factory with an asbestos roof.

Concern over asbestos discovery

Signs appeared last week warning people to stay away from a section of Lloyd Park in Walthamstow which is currently being refurbished.

It later emerged a slab of asbestos had been found beneath a demolished bowling alley.

But members of the Winns Terrace Residents’ Association say they should have been kept informed about the dangerous discovery.

Councillor Geraldine Reardon, Cabinet Member for Leisure, Arts and Culture, said: “The council has written to local people apologising for any concern that was caused regarding the asbestos removal work that was safely carried out in Lloyd Park last week.

“Our contractors have taken all precautions necessary to ensure the safety of the surrounding public and of operatives working on the construction site and the council is entirely confident that the work was carried out successfully and that no one was put at risk.”

Asbestos was “capital punishment” for employees

THE inquest into the death of a former Crewe Works employee has revealed the horrifying truth about asbestos exposure, before its dangers were recognised.

He died on the August 4, 2011, aged 70, after being diagnosed with lung disease. But at his inquest on Friday, the coroner heard how workers were exposed to the dangerous fibres, linked to a number of diseases, on a daily basis.

The coroner said his death was caused by a combination of natural and industrial diseases. His post mortem revealed asbestos had contributed to his lung disease.

Asbestos caused death of Gainsborough woman 25 years after exposure

A woman died from asbestos exposure at a factory more than 25 years after leaving the job.

Larraine Kirk, 47, of Gainsborough, suffered for nearly ten months before losing her battle with mesothelioma.

Deputy coroner Paul Smith returned a verdict of death by industrial disease at an inquest.

Mrs Kirk died on October 26 last year after first complaining of stomach problems in January.

A tumour was then found in her bowel in June.

The former machinist worked in the Gainsborough factory between 1980 and 1984.

During this time, repairs were carried out on asbestos-lagged heating pipes while employees continued to work on the site.

Mr Smith concluded this must have been the source of the disease.

Mesothelioma is a form of cancer usually caused by exposure to asbestos.

Doctor’s death linked to exposure to asbestos – more than 50 years ago

Retired hospital haematologist Philip Kingston died as the result of a bizarre accident involving his ship when he was serving in the Royal Navy more than fifty years ago, an inquest heard.

He inhaled deadly asbestos as a result of his ship, HMS Albion, being severely damaged when it was hit by a Portuguese ship in dock at Gibraltar, the Gloucester inquest was told.

Dr Kingston 74, of Nympsfield Road, Nailsworth, served in the Navy from 1955 to 1958. When the Gibraltar incident which ultimately caused his death occurred, his ship she had just returned from service during the Suez Canal crisis of 1956.

He died at his home of the asbestos related cancer mesothelioma on September 11 last year.

His wife Rosalind told Gloucestershire Assistant Deputy Coroner Tom Osborne that following breathing problems in 2009, he was referred for a biopsy and this showed he had mesothelioma – a lung cancer whose only known cause is asbestos exposure.

“He spent three years in the Royal Navy from 1955 to 1958 and that was the only time he could remember coming into contact with asbestos dust.” she said “The Navy admitted liability and so he was in receipt of a pension until he died.”

Mr Kingston, in a report about the Gibraltar incident written before his death, said the Albion had visited Gibraltar on her way home from Suez.

A large party of admirals and other top brass were there to welcome the ship and to thank the crew for their hard work during the crisis, he said.

“I saw the mooring lines attaching the ship to the dock pull taut and when I went to make sure all was well, I saw a Portuguese frigate with its bow buried in her stern,” he said.

“The frigate had hit exactly where the admirals would have been having lunch just a little while later.”

The damage necessitated the ship going into dry dock and he said that was when he was exposed to asbestos, which was used for lagging pipework and had to be removed.

A post mortem carried out by Dr John McCarthy confirmed the mesothelioma, which had caused bronchial pneumonia.

Summing up, the coroner accepted that it was most likely Mr Kingston had been exposed to asbestos during his naval service on HMS Albion.

Asbestos threat to our water supplies

Stowey Quarry, a few miles from Blagdon, could be filled with up to 645,000 tonnes of hazardous waste which residents fear could leach into nearby Chew Valley Lake, which supplies North Somerset and Bristol with millions of litres of drinking water per year.

Bath and North East Somerset Council (BANES) granted planning permission to Oaktree Environmental for the plans in July but following the threat of a judicial review and a wave of protests, later reversed its decision on the grounds it did not advertise it properly.

The change of heart was formally ratified by the High Court in December but BANES has said it will re-advertise the application soon. Residents will then have the chance to respond to the proposals.

Protesting group Stop Stowey Quarry is now gearing up for a fresh wave of opposition.

Campaigner Lucy Pover said: “There will be lorry loads of asbestos being taken through the area every day. It only takes one accident to release it into the air.

“The site of the quarry is only 1,500 metres from the lake. It just doesn’t seem to make sense to have tons of hazardous waste dumped there.”

Last year, more than 1,800 signatures were collected against the proposals.

A spokesman for Bristol Water said of the original plans: “We consider proposals to develop a large scale waste facility close to a major water supply, special protection area and site of special scientific interest, are inappropriate.

“However, we would like to reassure customers that no pollution of any kind has actually taken place.

“We monitor the quality of the raw untreated water in the lake and through every stage of the treatment process which follows.”

The water supplier said that it will respond to any concerns raised if the plans are re-advertised.