Health and Safety Executive figures show that there were 86 deaths in Wigan from the asbestos-related disease mesothelioma between 1981 and 2000 and the indication is that the rate has increased since then.

With the controversial fire retardant still present in many older buildings, tradesmen, in particular, are still at risk.
Across the North West 2,431 people died from the disease between 1981 and 2000.

In more recent years, the death rate in the region has risen to 62 fatalities per million men and 11 per million women in 2003, compared with 23 per million men and four per million women in 1983.

The death rate is increasing because of the delay between initial exposure to asbestos and death from mesothelioma – typically between 30 and 40 years.

Nationally, it is estimated 20 tradesmen die every week from asbestos-related diseases and experts say it only takes one fibre to embed in the lung for the slow but fatal process to begin.

Tom Catterall, from Beech Hill, died almost five years ago after working alongside asbestos at two different workplaces.
The illness killed him within four months of being diagnosed.

Since then his widow Marjorie has been a key figure in the Mesothelioma Action Group.
She said: "It is a long time now since asbestos was proved to be a killer but the nature of mesothelioma and the fact that there is still this terrible substance in so many buildings means that we cannot drop our guard.

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