Obituary: 'Incredible asbestos campaigner' dies, aged 89

A tenacious campaigner for the victims of asbestos diseases who was a pioneer in revealing the cover-up of asbestos cancer by Turner & Newall, has died aged 89.

As a Churchill research fellow in the 1970s Nancy Tait visited the Rochdale factory together with other sites in the T&N empire in the UK, Canada and Southern Africa, after her husband died of mesothelioma in 1968.

In his obituary for the Guardian newspaper yesterday, Professor Nick Wikeley, from the University of Southampton, wrote: "Nobody achieved more than Nancy Tait, who has died aged 89, in raising awareness about the hazards associated with asbestos exposure.

"Driven by her own search for justice she campaigned for victims of asbestos diseases and helped more than 3,000 families pick their way through a legal and scientific labyrinth."

During her late 80s Mrs Tait maintained a keen interest in the Save Spodden Valley campaign.