Labourer who cut asbestos awarded six-figure payout

David Lawrence worked at a builders' merchant cutting up asbestos boards in 1961

A man who said he spent more than a year cutting up asbestos sheets without protective equipment has been awarded a six-figure payout.

David Lawrence was diagnosed with mesothelioma, a type of incurable cancer, after being exposed to deadly fibres at a former builders' merchant.

The 79-year-old, from Maldon, Essex, said it was "wrong that our former employers knowingly put us all in danger".

Solicitor Lorna Webster, who took on the case, said "no amount of compensation" would give Mr Lawrence back his previously good health.

He worked in the cutting area at John Sadd & Sons in Maldon, in 1961, and used to cut the sheeting into strips for builders to fit as soffits, under the guttering of houses.

Mr Lawrence's solicitor said he was not given any protective equipment by his employer to stop him inhaling the asbestos dust.

His diagnosis meant he struggled to leave his house and had to give up his hobbies, his solicitor said.

"It is unfair that people who worked hard like me were put in such danger by our employers," said Mr Lawrence.

"I urge anyone who has worked in an environment like mine, to get checked and to seek both medical and legal help - even if the company is out of business."

John Sadd & Sons was founded in 1729 in the coastal town and closed in 1994.

Mr Lawrence has been supported by the London Asbestos Support Awareness Group (LASAG) and the exact figure of his compensation was not disclosed.

Mesothelioma is a type of cancer that develops in the lining that covers the outer surface of some of the body's organs, according to the NHS website.

It is usually linked to asbestos exposure and cannot be cured, although treatments can help with the symptoms.

The insurance company, which is subject to the compensation payout, was contacted for comment by the BBC.