Lawyers And Exeter Woman Appeal To Former Colleagues For Help

A former retail worker from Exeter who was diagnosed with asbestos-related cancer last year has teamed up with legal experts to call on her former workmates to help her gain justice regarding the illness.

Lynne Mitchell, nee Tucker, 59, began to suffer health problems at the start of 2016 and following tests it was confirmed she had developed mesothelioma, a cancer of the lining of the lung which is commonly associated with exposure to asbestos.

Following the diagnosis, Lynne, who has just moved back to Exeter from living in France, due to her illness, instructed specialist asbestos-related disease lawyers at Irwin Mitchell to investigate how she came to develop her illness.

As part of their work, the legal experts are now keen to hear from anyone who worked with Lynne during her time as both a make-up consultant and supervisor at the Boots store on Exeter high street between 1974 and 1986. They are particularly keen to get information regarding works which took place at the site between 1975 and 1978, which is when they believe Lynne may have come into contact with asbestos.

Isabelle Selley, specialist asbestos-related disease lawyer at Irwin Mitchell’s Bristol office, is representing Lynne.

Lynne grew up and lived in Exeter for most of her life, until around ten years ago she moved to France with her husband to help him pursue his dream of running a farm. In January 2016 she began to feel a pain in her side and the problem continued for many months. The following June she sought medical advice after losing weight and, following tests, she was informed of her diagnosis.

Looking back on her working life, she recalls major refurbishment work taking place at Boots which saw the shop expanded by contracts who knocked through an adjoining wall into the retail unit next door.

She recalled: “The project lasted a good six months and despite the workmen cleaning up regularly, the whole environment remained very dusty. During my time in the make-up department we needed to ensure the area looking spotless, so I was always cleaning the counters to try and make a good impression to customers.

“When I moved to the baby department it was a little less dusty but I did used to sort stock upstairs, which was often dusty too.

“My diagnosis has been extremely hard to take as it has had a huge impact on our lives. I previously had a very active lifestyle but now my husband is simply unable to look after the farm himself, so we have been left with little option but to move back to the UK. I really feel like I deserve answers regarding the illness and I hope my former colleagues will be able to help me.”

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