Family Appeals To Workmates Of Former North West Man Following His Death From Asbestos Cancer

The family of a former site agent who died from asbestos cancer is appealing to his former colleagues for help to discover how he was exposed to the hazardous material that claimed his life.

Glyn Jones, 82, from Y Felinheli near Bangor, was diagnosed with mesothelioma, a cancer of the lining of the lung associated with exposure to asbestos, often decades previously at the age of 82 in November 2021 and sadly passed away early this year.

Following his diagnosis, Glyn, together with his sister in law Delyth and brother Ralph, instructed specialist asbestos-related disease lawyers at Irwin Mitchell to investigate where his exposure may have occurred. Unfortunately Glyn had dementia at the time of his diagnosis and had limited memories of his working life.

Glyn’s family have joined his legal team to appeal for anyone who remembers working with Glyn to come forward with details about the conditions he may have faced in his career. Glyn worked at Pochins in Middlewich, Cheshire in 1964, Burns Anderson in 1966-67 and the University of Manchester from 1963 to 1965, and again from 1967 to 1970.

Expert Opinion

“Glyn and his family lived with the impact of dementia on his life and that they then had to face a mesothelioma diagnosis in the last few months of his life was very cruel.

“Glyn’s family are determined to get to the truth about Glyn’s asbestos exposure. Glyn worked on public buildings and flats in the 1960s, a time when asbestos products were frequently used in the construction industry, so if anyone who remembers working with him or at the sites mentioned at the time could come forward, it would mean a lot to the family.

“Glyn’s dementia meant he struggled to recall some details of his work history, so any facts former workmates can supply could prove vital to our investigation.” Katrina London - Senior Associate Solicitor

After graduating with a degree in building studies, Glyn started work as a site agent for Pochins in Middlewich, Cheshire in 1964. His role involved reading drawings and translating them through to execution on site. The role involved a lot of work ‘snagging’ on site and problem solving. Glyn mainly worked on University of Manchester buildings.

From 1966-67, Glyn was employed by Burns Anderson, working on several blocks of flats during his time with the firm, one of them being close to Lapwing Lane, in Didsbury, Manchester.

Glyn returned to work at various University of Manchester between 1963 and 1965 and again from 1967-1970 but found it difficult to recall the individual locations and the work that he undertook.

Glyn moved to in North Wales in 1983 to develop his boat building and renovation business.

Glyn started to feel unwell in the summer of 2021 and following a consultation with his GP, was referred for tests. Glyn was diagnosed with mesothelioma in November 2021.

Speaking for the family about the appeal, Delyth said: “Glyn’s mesothelioma diagnosis came as a terrible shock to us and his dementia made it even harder for him to understand what was happening to him. 

“Sadly Glyn’s diagnosis came at a time when Glyn found it hard to remember his past work in detail, so we really do need help from his former workmates to complete the picture.

“It really would mean a lot to Glyn’s family if anyone out there who remembers Glyn or the places where he worked could come forward.”

Anyone with information that could help Glyn’s family is asked to contact Katrina London on 0161 838 7262 or by e-mail to Katrina.London@IrwinMitchell.com

Find out more about Irwin Mitchell's expertise in handling asbestos-related disease cases