June 20th, 2005

The former workers of a UK lorry plant fear cancer and other health scares stemming from exposure to asbestos. Former workers of the British Leyland plant are already seeing health scares become a reality, with four people already having been diagnosed with mesothelioma, an asbestos related cancer. The diagnosed employees are already seeking compensation for the injuries sustained while working at the plant.

Following the diagnosis of the four former workers, other ex-employees of the plant are also being advised to have health checks carried out in order to ensure that they do not have any health issues, or if they do have health problems to enable early treatment to be initiated.

One of the four to be diagnosed worked as the secretary at the plant. Madalene Kerr said she was horrified to learn that her cancer stemmed from exposure to asbestos dust particles from when she worked at the plant. She was diagnosed with cancer a few years ago and had to have a lung removed.

Ms Kerr stated, “I was doing secretarial work - you don't expect to get cancer doing that. But our office was right in the middle of the factory. You could see all the dust coming from the machinery in the plant. I never thought there would be anything sinister about dust and certainly didn't expect it to be asbestos. They didn't ever divulge the risks.”