WIDOWS of North-East workers fighting for compensation after their husbands' asbestos-related death vowed last night to continue their battle for justice.

Thousands of victims of the devastating condition meso-thelioma, a tumour of the lung lining, were yesterday denied a right to pursue claims by the Court of Appeal in London.

Three judges upheld a previous High Court judgement that victims would be unable to claim compensation if they were exposed to the killer dust by working for more than one employer.

Thousands of workers have been exposed to asbestos in the North-East shipyards, rail industry and manufacturing industries.

Last night, solicitors for the victims and their union representatives said it was "scandalous" and hundreds of companies who negligently exposed workers to asbestos would get off "scot free".

About 500 North-East asbestos claims are being handled by solicitors Thompsons in Newcastle, including 50 mesothelioma claims.

Recent figures showed that every day someone in the North dies as a result of working with asbestos. And over the past four years, Tyne and Wear has been the worst affected area in the country with 768 people falling victim.

Elsewhere in the region, 264 have succumbed to the terminal illness in Cleveland, 24 in Northumberland and 84 in County Durham.

Ian McFall, head of the national asbestos team at Thompsons, said after the ruling: "It is a hard slap in the face for people who have already suffered the trauma of watching their loved ones die an agonising death.

"There are thousands of men and women on Tyneside who have been exposed to asbestos, most of which have worked for two or more companies."

He said the firm's mesothelioma claims ranged from £50,000 up to "substantial six figure sums".

"Our next step is to bring this case before the House of Lords and restore some common sense in the approach the law takes to mesothelioma claims," he said.

The original High Court judge who heard the lead case, of Arthur Fairchild of Leeds, said in his view it was "difficult to imagine a more drawn out or painful way in which to die."

But, because just one fibre can kill and Mr Fairchild worked for three firms who had exposed him to asbestos, his widow received nothing.

Paul Nowak, TUC northern regional secretary, said: "We're bitterly disappointed by the judgement, it's a bitter blow for thousands of asbestos victims in the North-East and elsewhere.

"It means there will be no justice or fairness for people who suffered from mesthelioma and it lets off employers who negligently exposed them to asbestos."