Husband Worked At Well-Known Office Copying Firm For More Than 40 Years

The widow of a man who died of asbestos-related cancer is calling on his former workmates to help establish how he may have come into contact with the deadly material.

Brian Cornell died aged 78 around 18 months after he was diagnosed with malignant mesothelioma – a cancer of the lining of the lung which is commonly associated with asbestos exposure.

Following his death, Brian’s wife Jean, 78, from Cheshunt, instructed specialist asbestos-related disease lawyers at Irwin Mitchell to investigate how he came to develop the disease and how exposure may have taken place during his working life.

Now, as part of their ongoing investigations, the legal experts have joined with Jean to call on anyone who recalls working with Brian at office copying company Gestetner in Tottenham between 1956 and 2001 to come forward with information about the conditions he could have faced.

Expert Opinion

"Brian’s death is yet another terrible reminder of how the consequences of exposure to asbestos often only become clear many years after contact is thought to have taken place.

“Jean and the rest of Brian’s family remain devastated by their loss and hold many questions regarding the illness which took his life.

“Gestetner was a very well-known employer in the Tottenham area, employing thousands of people in its hey-day.

“We would be very grateful to anyone who might be able to come forward and provide details on what Brian would have faced during his time with the company. Such information will mean we are able to secure answers for the family.” Ian Bailey - Partner

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Brian and Jean married in 1961 and had two children and four grandchildren.

Apart from an 18-month spell working for another company in the mid-1950’s, Brian worked with Gestetner for all of his working life.

He was initially employed in a range of areas across the factory site, including the small parts section, the machine shop and the hardener shop. During the 1970s he then moved into an office-based role where he undertook business trips overseas on behalf of the firm.

Brian died on 27 December, 2017.

Jean said: “It was truly awful to see how mesothelioma affected Brian in the final weeks of his life and the entire family misses him so much. It is very difficult to believe it is already two years since he passed away.

“While time has moved on our family hasn’t. We still have so many questions about how Brian developed the illness.

“We know nothing can ever bring Brian back but we want to honour his memory by finding out what caused his death. We would be so grateful to anyone who came forward with information.”

Anyone with information is asked to contact Ian Bailey at Irwin Mitchell’s London office on 0207 421 4754 or email ian.bailey@irwinmitchell.com