On Sunday 11th November 2007, a short ceremony was held at the International Asbestos Memorial to signify the planting of 5,000 purple and white crocus bulbs, to commemorate the lives of those who die from asbestos related illnesses.

The number 5,000 was chosen to mark the number of deaths that the HSE believes are caused by previous exposure to asbestos each year. 

It is hoped the crocuses will bloom in late February, to coincide with the third Action Mesothelioma day, a day to campaign for better care and treatment for those diagnosed with mesothelioma and for greater awareness of the need to protect current employees from the dangers of asbestos. 

The crocus plants are mainly purple, the colour of the ribbon worn by those who wish to recognise individuals who have died as a result of their work, and white for remembrance.  They have been painted in clusters to signify the fact that illnesses from asbestos exposure occur in this way around areas where asbestos products were used or manufactured. 

The ceremony was attended by a representative of the Labour Party, trade unionists and members of the Save Spodden Valley campaign and was in recognition of the efforts of Rochdale Council’s environmental department and the British Trust for Conservation.

The memorial itself was unveiled in 2006 in Rochdale to remember those around the world who die from asbestos related illnesses.  

Click here for link to article on Rochdale Online.
Article posted by Helen Wilson, solicitor.

Tel: 0161 832 1251, email: hw@johnpickering.co.uk

Background

Mesothelioma is an asbestos-related cancer that affects the lining around the lungs (the pleura) and certain other organs such as the peritoneum. There is no cure for mesothelioma. Radical surgery is available to a limited number of eligible patients. The condition can be difficult to diagnose and patients generally survive less than 18 months from diagnosis. The only known cause of mesothelioma is asbestos. Mesothelioma often occurs 30 to 40 years after asbestos exposure, with no upper time limit. Although mesothelioma is an occupational disease, victims include teachers, nurses, doctors, shop workers and family members of people who have worked with asbestos.

John Pickering and Partners LLP

John Pickering and Partners LLP is a specialist legal practice that has represented claimants in the leading asbestos "test cases" in the last ten years. The firm represented Sylvia Barker in Barker v Corus (UK) Plc, a case that highlighted the legal tactics of employers and insurers trying to cut back their compensation liabilities to mesothelioma sufferers, and which prompted the amendment of the Compensation Act 2006 to ensure full compensation for mesothelioma claims. The firm represented two of the three claimants in the Fairchild appeal, in which the insurance industry tried unsuccessfully to block compensation altogether for mesothelioma sufferers unable to identify which of two or more sources of asbestos exposure had caused their illness.

The firm represented Alice Jefferson, a mesothelioma sufferer, whose illness and compensation claim against Cape Asbestos were featured in the important documentary "Alice: A Fight For Life."  Shown by Yorkshire Television in July 1982, the programme was an important catalyst for legal change and public awareness of the plight of the victims of asbestos.
If you need advice about an asbestos related illness, contact us now for information about making a claim for compensation.

Further information:
Kevin Johnson, Partner
John Pickering and Partners LLP
19 Castle Street
Liverpool
L2 4SX

Telephone: 0151 227 1214
E-mail: kj@johnpickering.co.uk
Website: www.johnpickering.co.uk
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