Hampshire pensioner with lung cancer wins £110k asbestos compensation claim

The 77-year-old Unite member worked as a mechanical fitter at a power station in 1962, repairing and replacing damaged pipework that was covered in asbestos.

As a result of poorly ventilated areas, he would breathe in the asbestos dust and had no equipment, such as a mask, to protect him.

He was also exposed to asbestos at another power station between 1977 and 1990, where he was provided protective gear.

But after suffering from a persistent chest infection in 2015, medical investigations revealed he had a partially collapsed lung caused by asbestos-related lung cancer.

He contacted Unite Legal Services and instructed asbestos disease specialists, Thompsons Solicitors, to investigate.

He said: ‘Before I became ill I was a keen cyclist, but my health has deteriorated to the point where I can’t do general housework, let alone physical activities.

‘I would often work long shifts in dirty conditions. I can remember taking off my overalls and shaking off the asbestos dust before putting them into my locker, ready to wear again the next day.

‘Although I’ve known about the very real dangers of working with asbestos for years, it still didn’t prepare me for the shock of being diagnosed with lung cancer.’

Michelle King, of Unite, said it was ‘unacceptable’ he had been forced to work without equipment to protect him from the deadly substance.