Expert Lawyers Are Investigating The Woman’s Exposure To Harmful Asbestos Dust And Fibres

A Newcastle-born woman is appealing to past and present tenants of North Tyneside Council houses for help following her mesothelioma diagnosis, after instructing specialist asbestos-related disease lawyers at Irwin Mitchell to investigate how and where she was exposed to the deadly substances dust and fibres.

Irene McKie, 68 and now living in Hull, was diagnosed with the terminal disease mesothelioma in October 2016 after undergoing a biopsy at Castle Hill Hospital, Cottingham. Mesothelioma is a cancer that affects the lining of the lungs and is caused by exposure to asbestos years, or decades, before symptoms begin to show.

Irene was born and schooled in Newcastle before moving to Canada with her then husband in 1972. Following her divorce, Irene moved back to the area in 1998 and rented a bungalow from North Tyneside Council at 32 Holystone Drive. It is here that the asbestos-related disease specialists believe she was exposed to asbestos.

Together, Irene and her legal team are appealing to former and current residents of North Tyneside Council housing for information they may have on the presence of asbestos in their homes which could aid Irene’s battle for justice.

Upon returning to Newcastle, Irene found her new home to be, in parts, in need of repair. One issue was the bathroom, which Irene has recalled to her lawyers as being so badly damaged that it was in need of removal.

Irene, a mother-of-three and grandmother-of-two, said: “My diagnosis came as a complete shock to me when the doctor told me I was suffering from mesothelioma. I was even more shocked and angry to know that it may have been caused by asbestos present in my former home.

“Following my diagnosis, I’m very concerned about my future and I just want to appeal to people who lived in similar housing to come forward and help me if they can.”

Irene first noticed symptoms in August 2016 when she began to suffer from breathlessness, and since mid-September she has been admitted to A&E by ambulance four times due to breathing difficulties.

Lucy Andrews, a specialist industrial disease solicitor based at Irwin Mitchell’s Leeds office who represents Irene, said: “We are trying to find answers for Irene and believe that she may have been exposed to asbestos while work was carried out at her bungalow on Holystone Drive to remove her bath.

“Irene has a fatal condition and understandably wants to know how this could have happened. The dangers and risks from exposure to asbestos dust were widely known by companies and local authorities from at least the 1950’s, so it is a surprise so few precautions were taken in 1998 to ensure the asbestos was removed safely from her home.

“If anyone who has lived in a North Tyneside Council property has experienced a similar issue, or is aware of asbestos being present in their home around a similar time, then please do contact us so we can get justice for Irene.”

Anyone who believes they can provide any information is asked to contact Lucy Andrews at Irwin Mitchell on 0113 394 6782 or email Lucy.Andrews@irwinmitchell.com.