Information Sought On Factories In Lydney And Whitecroft

The husband and daughter of a mum who died from asbestos cancer are appealing to her former workmates for help in establishing how she contracted the illness.

Margaret Wilks, 77, a former factory worker from Yorkley, near Lydney, died just four months after being diagnosed with mesothelioma, a cancer of the lining of the lung associated with asbestos exposure, often decades previously.

Margaret had instructed asbestos-related disease specialists at Irwin Mitchell to investigate the source of her illness and if she could have encountered asbestos at work.

Following her death, husband David, 79, and daughter Melissa Wilks, 42, are now continuing the investigation in Margaret’s memory. They have joined with their legal team at Irwin Mitchell to appeal for details from Margaret’s former work colleagues on the conditions she would have faced during her career.

They are keen to trace anyone who worked at the J Allen Rubber Company, later known as the London Rubber Company. Margaret worked at the firm’s factories in Lydney and Whitecroft as a packer and then later as charge hand, from 1959 until 1980.

Expert Opinion

“Mesothelioma is a terrible disease and Margaret’s family are understandably still in shock following her sudden death. Her diagnosis and death has left them struggling to come to terms with an unexpected event that has turned their world upside down.

“Despite her illness Margaret was determined to get at the truth behind her illness and we’re determined to support David and Melissa as they continue the search for answers in her memory.

"While nothing can make up for Margaret’s death people coming forward with information could make all the difference to the investigation and at least provide David and Melissa with the answers and closure they deserve.” Rebecca Buxton - Associate Solicitor

On leaving school aged 15, Margaret began work for J Allen Rubber Co in 1959. Based at the firm’s Lydney factory, Margaret worked in the large, open-plan packing area.

The room was half the size of a football pitch, which allowed for hundreds - including packers and maintenance workers - to be working alongside her. Initially working as a packer, Margaret was later promoted to the position of charge hand.

Following her diagnosis, Margaret told her legal team how she believed several other colleagues,   went on to develop an asbestos related disease. Margaret’s own sister Gaynor also worked at the factory for a short period of time.

Margaret’s said that the Lydney factory  was old and in disrepair so she was happy to move to the newer Whitecroft factory in the mid-1970s. Here she packed rubber items such as gloves and balloons, which may have contained industrial talc. She left in 1980, when her daughter Melissa was born.

David and Margaret married in 1968 and had a full and active life together. Margaret enjoyed playing skittles and knitting in her spare time. She loved all sports and also enjoyed watching them on TV. Margaret had no grandchildren and Melissa was her only child.

Fit and healthy prior to her mesothelioma diagnosis, Margaret rarely visited a doctor, until in the spring of 2021, she started to lose weight and suffer from breathlessness. She was admitted to hospital and stayed there for five weeks between May and June, 2021.

Following tests she was diagnosed with mesothelioma last August. She died on 19 December, 2021, with David and Melissa by her side.

David said: “Margaret was a wonderful wife and mum and it’s still so difficult to accept that she’s no longer with us.

“Margaret had been fit and well all her life, so her illness and mesothelioma diagnosis came as a tremendous shock. We’d barely had time to come to terms with it, before she passed away.

“We had been told about mesothelioma but could hardly believe things could change so quickly. Margaret was a practical woman and immediately set to work to find out how she could have come into contact with asbestos. However, she went from being an active person who enjoyed going out and about and visiting the shops to one who was reliant on others for care. 

“If anyone employed at either factory recalls Margaret or the working conditions and could get in touch with us that would be a great help.

“Melissa has lost her mother and I have lost my wife and my best friend. Life is never going to be the same for us, but we want to honour Margaret’s memory by understanding how she came to contract this terrible disease.”

Anyone who has any information that could help David and the family is asked to contact Rebecca Buxton at rebecca.buxton@irwinmitchell.com or 0117 926 1574.

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