The wife of a former Gateshead steel labourer is reaching out to former colleagues looking for answers after he was diagnosed with multiple life changing conditions last year.

George Trotter, aged 80, a former labourer at Wright Anderson & Co Ltd, has been diagnosed with cancer commonly by extensive asbestos exposure as well as dementia mere months after.

The Blaydon local worked for the firm for eight years from 1958, with his wife Deborah Trotter, 53, launching a case to investigate these illnesses.

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Lawyers at Irwin Mitchell are now investigating the possibility that George’s serious health conditions were caused by exposure to hazardous materials in the workplace.

George’s wife of 20 years, Deborah said: “George had been struggling for a while with symptoms but still nothing prepared either of us for the news that he had cancer. It came as a real bolt out of the blue and knocked us both for six.

The Northern Echo: George and his wife Deborah.George and his wife Deborah. (Image: IRWIN MITCHELL)

“During his time at Wright Anderson & Co George remembered that there were a few small furnaces around the factory and that products were picked out of the furnaces by women who used tongs and then caught the products in buckets. He also remembered that there was a lot of dust and fibres flying around. There was so much that he told me he couldn’t help breathing it in.”

George now lives in a care home following his cancer diagnosis in April 2022, with his wife Deborah admitting it’s been some of the “toughest” months of her life.

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She added: “I’ve so many questions about how George could’ve been exposed to asbestos, and while we can’t turn the clock back I feel the least we both deserve is some answers.”

Emma Bell, the specialist asbestos-related disease lawyer at Irwin Mitchell representing George and Deborah said: “George’s case is yet another reminder of the terrible legacy asbestos has created in the North East with his diagnosis coming many years after his exposure is believed to have happened.

The Northern Echo: George and his wife Deborah.George and his wife Deborah. (Image: IRWIN MITCHELL)

“His diagnosis has come as a huge shock to George and Deborah who understandably have a number of questions about how he came into contact with asbestos.

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“While we can’t make up for George’s diagnosis and what the future may hold, we’re determined to at least provide him and his wife with the answers they deserve.”

Deborah and her legal team are now launching an appeal to former workers at Wright Anderson & Co to come forward with any information of the conditions George faced.

Anyone with information is asked to contact Louisa Shaw at Irwin Mitchell on 0191 434 0737 or email at louisa.shaw@irwinmitchell.com.