THE legacy of industrial diseases is continuing to take its toll in Swindon amid a dramatic rise in the numbers dying from exposure to asbestos.

About 2,500 deaths a year are being recorded across the country, with the town being one of the places disproportionately affected.

The Adver reported on Monday that the widow of a mesothelioma victim who had previously worked for British Rail had to go to court to get the Government to pay for his gravestone.

Doves will be released in Queen’s Park on Friday as families of those affected by so-called ‘Swindon disease’ gather to mark Action Mesothelioma Day 2017.

It forms part of national events organized by Mesothelioma UK, a charitable trust.

Jennifer Seavor, of Royds Withy King’s Swindon office, is an occupational disease and asbestos specialist whose cases reflect the substance’s broader use after the closure of Swindon’s railway workshops, where thousands of workers were exposed.

She said: “The figures show that at the moment there are 2,500 deaths from mesothelioma a year.

“The number is expected to rise until 2020 and Swindon is one of the places disproportionately affected.

“At Royds Withy King we have had an increase in instructions from people from all walks of life across a broad range of ages.

“One client died from mesothelioma aged 43, so there continues to be a very sad and upsetting legacy reflecting a change in where people have been exposed.

“The dove release and memorial ceremony is a chance for families to honour and remember their loved ones and to raise awareness of mesothelioma and other asbestos-related illnesses.”

Deaths from mesothelioma are peaking at a rate of around 2,500 a year across the country, according to the Health and Safety Executive. In 1968 there were just 163 deaths from mesothelioma. The most recent figures for Wiltshire made available to the Adver by the coroner’s office under the Freedom of Information Act showed that 107 people died from industrial-related illnesses in the county between 2009 and 2011.

Chris Unsworth, a specialist in asbestos exposure at Coffin Mew Solicitors, said: “Unfortunately, the impact of asbestos is still being felt across the country, but particularly in Swindon.

“The town’s past industrial history means that it has always been vulnerable to this and will continue to be so in the future.

“At Coffin Mew, previously Charles Lucas and Marshall, we are continuing to see rising numbers of people come to us following a diagnosis of an asbestos-related condition.

“Any expected peak is not likely to occur until 2018 at the earliest. These are people who, through no fault of their own, were exposed to asbestos while at work without being given the proper protection.

“It is our job to fight for them and help them pursue any potential claim they may have.”

For information about the Queen’s Park event and mesothelioma in general visit www.mesothelioma.uk.com or freephone 0800 169 2409.

The Queen’s Park dove release and memorial ceremony

Asbestos was so prevalent at Swindon’s former railway works and other factories that illnesses including mesothelioma, a cancer related to the substance, have been named after the town.

Former employees have described how asbestos used to blow around like snow at the works, which closed in 1986. Many remained fit and healthy into retirement, only to be struck down in the space of a couple of years after diagnosis.

In later years other forms of exposure, including among tradesmen, added to the increase In cases.2