PROTESTORS descended upon Appleton Thorn industrial estate.
They were members of the Asbestos Victims Support Group Forum UK, and they were demonstrating against a perceived lack of action taken by a company over asbestos usage.
They claim Cape Intermediate Holdings withheld evidence on the risks of exposure to asbestos in one of their products, Asbestolux - an insulation board material.
Today is Mesothelioma Awareness Day.
— Installer (@Installermag) September 26, 2022
New research has found that 21% of UK plumbers are exposed to asbestos every single week.
Find out more: https://t.co/EeNiXfgbIE pic.twitter.com/rbBUvCjS78
The demonstrators demanded that Cape pay £10 million towards finding a cure for mesothelioma, which is an asbestos-related illness.
Joanne Gordon, chair of the victims' forum said: “Thanks to the Forum’s [legal case] against Cape Intermediate Holdings, many victims who may have previously been denied compensation will have a greater chance of justice thanks to the evidence contained in documents now freely available.
"That’s a modern-day superhero story."
The demonstrators were at Cape's headquarters on the Appleton Thorn industrial estate on Friday, September 30, at 1pm.
The victims' forum added: "Whilst the £10 million we demand does not compare to the vast profits Cape recorded as their employees were knowingly exposed to life-threatening asbestos fibres – it may well provide a lifeline to those who suffer from mesothelioma in the future."
44% of UK tradespeople know a colleague with an #asbestos related disease or have one themselves and 72% of #tradespeople have come across asbestos in their work. A 1/4 encounter it every week. Find out who's most at risk and what to look out for at https://t.co/qpPvyggPls pic.twitter.com/87IihwOaRv
— Asbestos Support Central England (@AsbestosCentral) September 27, 2022
One person impacted by the Asbestolux product said: "No one said it was dangerous, I went home covered in it every time I used it, and what’s more, I used to travel home on public transport.’’
Cape were contacted for comment and did not respond.
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