Information Sought On Plibrico’s Luton Head Office And Scunthorpe Factory

A Suffolk man who was diagnosed with asbestos-related cancer has issued a plea for former colleagues to come forward and help him gain answers regarding how he developed the illness.

Andrew Stevens, 62, from Stowmarket, started to feel unwell in September 2018.  Following a range of tests over three months, he was diagnosed with peritoneal mesothelioma – a rare cancer of the lining of the abdomen linked to asbestos exposure.

After receiving the devastating news, he instructed legal experts at Irwin Mitchell to investigate his illness and they have gone on to examine whether it may be linked to his work history.

As part of their ongoing efforts, they are now seeking information on whether Andrew’s contact with asbestos may have taken place during his time employed by Plibrico Ltd between 1985 and 1988. With that in mind, Andrew has joined with them to call on anyone with information about the employer to come forward and assist with the investigations.

Expert Opinion

“Andrew was very shocked to receive news of his diagnosis and the illness has had a significant impact on his life in recent months.

He is desperate for some answers regarding how it could have emerged and following our initial work we now believe it could be linked to this employer. However, we need more details about the company to ensure that is indeed the case.

We would be hugely grateful if anyone with knowledge of the company could come forward, while it would be great to hear from those who recall working with Andrew too.”
Samantha Pitts (nee Shaw) - Senior Associate

Andrew was a company secretary for Plibrico Ltd, which specialised in making linings for blast furnaces and boilers, during his three-year period at the firm. He was primarily based at the head office on Upper George St in Luton, but also recalled making regular visits to a factory in Scunthorpe too.

He said: “The Luton office was small and there was no office manager, so I was quite hands-on and did a number of tasks. These included going into the boiler room at the top of the building to tweak the system if there was a problem. That area was always very dusty and I believe the equipment would have been lagged with asbestos.

“I recall the ceiling tiles in the office being replaced and the work created lots of dust.  It is possible they contained asbestos too. I also remember the Scunthorpe factory was always very dusty and dirty during my visits up there.  Given the nature of the products, it is possible that asbestos was present in the factory.”

Andrew has been married to wife Jean for 20 years.  Discussing the impact of his mesothelioma, he said: “It has been a very anxious time in my life and I am worried about what the future holds.

“I have lost lots of weight and can’t do much around the house anymore, which has led to a lot of strain being put on Jean. We have also had to pay for support for things like gardening and decorating, and we have even had to cancel holidays because of how unwell I am.

“It has been incredibly difficult and I just really need answers as to how this has happened to me.  I’d be so grateful if anyone with information on this company could come forward and help.”

Anyone with information is asked to contact Samantha Shaw at Irwin Mitchell’s Cambridge office on 01223 791815 or by emailing samantha.shaw@irwinmitchell.com.

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