Liquorice Maker Diagnosed With Mesothelioma After Exposure To Harmful Asbestos Dust

A sweet maker that worked at the Bassetts sweet factory in Sheffield and has recently been diagnosed with mesothelioma, an asbestos-related cancer, is appealing for her former colleagues to help her expert lawyers investigate whether more could have been done by her former employers to protect her from the deadly substance decades ago.  

Patricia Sykes, 80, from Huddersfield, West Yorkshire, was previously fit and well until she was diagnosed with mesothelioma in March 2016. The disease is caused by exposure to harmful asbestos dust and fibres but it takes decades before symptoms develop.  Patricia believes that she contracted the terminal disease, which affects the linings of the lungs, while working for her former employers. 

Patricia, a widow, instructed industrial illness experts at Irwin Mitchell to investigate where she was exposed to asbestos and whether or not she was provided with adequate safety equipment to protect her during her employment at various companies.  

Together, Patricia and her legal team are appealing for former colleagues to help with the investigation as they may be able to shed light on the working conditions that she endured and help explain how she was exposed to asbestos. 

Patricia believes that she was exposed to asbestos at two other places in addition to the Bassetts factory throughout her time at work. These are the Globe Worsted Mill, Crowthers Mill, both in Slaithwaite. 

Patricia worked at the Globe Worsted Mill between 1950 and 1955 as a spinner working on worsted wool.  The mill made men’s suits, uniforms for police and uniforms for firemen.  After leaving Globe Worsted Mill, Patricia worked at Crowthers Mill until 1957 as a pattern weaver. 

Patricia recalled that the working environment at the mills was very dusty. Bits of wool regularly came off the machines. There were pipes lagged in, what Patricia believed to be, asbestos.

Patricia’s legal team are also keen to speak to are her colleagues who worked with her at Bassetts at its Sheffield Sweet Factory between 1964 and 1965. Here Patricia worked in the liquorice and paste department making liquorice and paste that go into Bassetts Liquorice Allsorts. 

Patricia was responsible for filling trays of melted liquorice from a large, heated vat that was lagged in asbestos.  She recalls regularly working in close proximity to maintenance workers that were carrying out repairs and maintenance to these huge vats and disturbing asbestos material. 

Ian Toft, an industrial disease specialist based at Irwin Mitchell Leeds office who represents Patricia, said: 

Expert Opinion

“We are working with Patricia in her fight for justice to find out why she exposed to asbestos and believe she was substantially exposed to asbestos while working for Bassetts Sweet Factory and during her time at various mills.

“Mesothelioma is an incurable and debilitating disease and its symptoms can only treated temporarily. The effects of working with asbestos often do not occur until decades later. Patricia and her family are suffering terribly simply because she was not adequately protected at work.

“We urge any of Patricia’s former colleagues to come forward as we require their help to show that while she was employed at Bassetts and the mills she was exposed to asbestos.” Ian Toft - Partner & Head of Asbestos and Occupational Disease (North)

Patricia, who was married to Roy, her late husband, for over 40 years, has five daughters, 15 grandchildren and 22 great-grandchildren that she sees regularly.  

Patricia said: “It has been very difficult for me to come to terms with the fact that my illness was caused by exposure to asbestos decades ago, simply by going to work.

“It is heart-breaking to know that this disease was caused by asbestos exposure and I am determined to find out how and where I was exposed to it. Even more importantly, I am determined to find out why more was not done to protect myself and others.”

Anybody who knows or worked with Patricia and can provide any information is asked to contact Ian Toft at Irwin Mitchell on 0870 150 0100 or e-mail ian.toft@irwinmitchell.com.