A RETIRED Barrow council bricklayer is appealing to his former colleagues to come forward in a bid to find out how and where he was exposed to asbestos. 

Dennis Pearson, 66, from Stainton, was diagnosed with mesothelioma, which is caused by exposure to asbestos and affects the lining of the lungs, in August 2015 after suffering with shortness of breath. 

He believes the disease developed due to exposure to asbestos decades ago, during his working life. 

The father-of-one told his legal team at Irwin Mitchell that during his time working for Barrow Corporation between 1964 and 1971, which later became Barrow Borough Council, he worked on a number of building sites in the town. 

He explained that he was involved in building new council houses in Barrow and that asbestos was commonly used in the construction of buildings at this time. 

He recalled as an apprentice bricklayer, cutting down large sheets of asbestos with a hand saw or angle grinder, which would lead to asbestos dust and fibres being released into the working environment. 

Mr Pearson also recollected building an extension on the Victoria Girls’ School, which required him to remove asbestos-lagging from pipework in the existing building. He also recounted maintaining boilers at schools operated by Barrow Corporation and working alongside other tradesmen who repaired pipework. 

He said asbestos was often disturbed during repair work and that the environment was often very dusty, he was never provided with protective equipment or training on how to handle asbestos correctly. 

Mr Pearson said: “I’m still struggling to fully come to terms with my mesothelioma diagnosis and what that means for my future. Since my diagnosis my health has begun to deteriorate and I don’t have as much energy as I used to. 

“I recall regularly working with asbestos while I was employed by the council and that we were not provided with breathing masks or other protective equipment to prevent our exposure to it. 

“Now I’m appealing to my former colleagues who worked on council buildings in Barrow alongside me to come forward and help provide my legal team with the information they need to get me the answers I’m looking for.” 

Anyone with information is asked to contact Emma Tordoff at Irwin Mitchell in Manchester.