New support for victims of asbestos

By [mbrown]

A vicar whose father died of asbestos-related lung cancer has won support for a scheme to help sufferers in Lincolnshire.

Reverend Canon Andrew Vaughan, whose father Harry died after being exposed to asbestos in the Welsh power station where he worked, said: "This area is potentially significant because we've a lot of people who've worked in the Trent Valley power stations and factories where asbestos was used."

But mesothelioma, the cancer of the lung lining or abdomen which struck Harry Vaughan, can develop after only low exposure meaning people like teachers, nurses and office workers have contracted the disease.

"It's a ticking time bomb. It can remain dormant within the lungs for many years," said Andrew Vaughan.

Along with county councillor Nev Jackson, Mr Vaughan approached the Derbyshire Asbestos Support Team who help victims of asbestosis, lung cancer, mesothelioma and pleural thickening apply for benefits, grants and compensation.

And thanks to a £150,000 investment from Macmillan Cancer Support they are set to expand their work across the whole of the East Midlands.

Jane Rudge, senior Macmillan development manager for the East Midlands, said: "I'm delighted we are able to build on what was already a sterling service and enable it to expand into Lincolnshire."

For more information on the service, including contact details, see Monday's Echo.