Family's plea for answers over Wigan great grandad's death

Alan Littler, 74, from Kitt Green, lost his life in 2019 after battling lung cancer.

Alan spent most of his working life in the construction industry as a general labourer and was employed by numerous companies across Wigan and the North West.

His son, David, described his father as “a belting bloke who would do anything for anyone”.

He added: “Dad was a quiet man; he never really went into too much detail about his job or the type of work he was doing.

“His death came as a massive blow to the whole family and left us searching for answers about how he came to develop the illness.”

After his death, Alan and his family instructed specialist industrial diseases lawyers at Stephensons to examine how he may have encountered asbestos during his career.

It is hoped that former colleagues of Alan may come forward and provide more information about the work he undertook and the potential risks he may have been exposed to whilst working for several construction firms across the region.

These include R. Costain & Sons (Liverpool) Limited, Reema Construction Limited and A. Monk & Company PLC between the years 1964 and 1977. It is believed his exposure to asbestos may have occurred during this period.

Sarah Masters, an associate solicitor at Stephensons working on behalf of the family, said: “Tragically, asbestos related cancer has taken the lives of many people over recent years and left many families, like Alan’s, searching for answers.

“Anyone who may have worked with Alan, either directly or indirectly over the years, could allow us to piece together what may have happened and help us determine when and where Alan was exposed to this deadly material. Any help would be greatly appreciated.”

To contact Stephensons with any information or to offer assistance, please call Sarah Masters on 01942 774350 or e-mail [email protected]

Asbestosis is a serious lung condition caused by long-term exposure to asbestos.

Asbestos is a fibre-like material that was once used in buildings for insulation, flooring and roofing.

Its use has been fully banned in the UK since 1999.

While asbestos can be dangerous, it’s not harmful if left alone.

But if material containing asbestos is damaged, it can release a fine dust that contains asbestos fibres.

But you would need long-term exposure to asbestos fibres, usually over many years, before you develop asbestosis.

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