Woman Has Instructed Specialist Lawyers To Investigate Asbestos Exposure

A woman from Bradford who worked at Industrial Cleaning Contractors is appealing to her former colleagues for help after being diagnosed with mesothelioma, an incurable form of cancer caused by exposure to asbestos decades before symptoms appear.

June Thomson, 77 from Eccleshill, has instructed specialist industrial illness lawyers at Irwin Mitchell to investigate where she was exposed to the harmful asbestos dust and why she wasn’t provided with adequate safety equipment to protect her from it.

June was diagnosed in September 2016 with mesothelioma, which is a terminal form of cancer that affects the lining of the lungs and its debilitating symptoms can only be treated temporarily.

Together, June and her specialist asbestos lawyers are appealing for her former colleagues to help with the investigation.  Any colleagues who may be able to shed further light on the working conditions that June endured are asked to come forward.

June worked at a cleaning firm called Industrial Contract Cleaners Limited from 1969 onwards.  The company was taken over by HAT Cleaning Services in 1977 and was then known as Initial Contract Services from 1987 onwards.

While working for these companies June was responsible for cleaning a number of factories and this is where exposure to asbestos was likely to have arisen. In particular June remembers working at International Harvesters (Five Lane End, Bradford), GEC (Thornbury Road, Bradford), Yorkshire Electricity Board (Geldard Road) and Vickers (Leeds).

June recalled that many of these factories were very dusty, dirty environments with lots of debris.  Some of these factories may have contained asbestos and she is calling for any employees to come forward.

June said: “It has been very difficult for me to come to terms with the fact that my illness was caused by exposure to asbestos decades ago, simply by going to work.

“I never thought that the work that I did for so many years would affect my life now. I really hope that former colleagues will now help the team at Irwin Mitchell to give any information about the conditions that I worked in so my family and I can get the justice that I deserve.”

June, a widow, has a large family made up of five children, nine grandchildren and seven great-grandchildren.  She enjoys seeing all of her family regularly and was married to her late husband, Alan, since 1958. Before Alan passed away in November 2004, June was his primary carer.

Before being diagnosed with mesothelioma June enjoyed going on holiday and travelling the world. She has visited Canada, South Africa and Australia.  She was hoping to go to Canada in May 2017 to see her son, but this may not be possible.

Nicola Handley, a specialist industrial disease Solicitor based at Irwin Mitchell’s Leeds office representing June, said: 

Expert Opinion

“We believe that June was exposed to asbestos whilst working for Industrial Contract Cleaners.

“We are seeking to find answers for June in order to help her understand precisely how her exposure to asbestos arose. June has provided a written statement dealing with where she worked whilst employed at Industrial Cleaning Contractors but we need information in relation to how she was exposed to asbestos.

“The dangers and risks from exposure to asbestos dust were known widely by companies from at least the 1950’s. However, all too often we see workers and their families who have been left devastated decades later because they were not given the correct safety equipment to protect them from exposure.”
Nicola Handley - Senior Associate Solicitor

Anyone who knew or worked with June, or who worked at International Harvesters, GEC, Yorkshire Electricity Board or Vickers during the relevant periods and can provide any information is asked to contact Nicola Handley at Irwin Mitchell on 0113 220 6233 or by email at nicola.handley@irwinmitchell.com.