Tony Lloyd condemns “man-made tragedy” as tributes are paid to the victims of asbestos

Tony Lloyd MP with Asbestos Victims Support campaigners

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Rochdale MP Tony Lloyd condemned the “man-made tragedy” as tributes were paid to the victims of asbestos.

Campaigners from across Europe and as far as Japan gathered in Sackville Gardens in Manchester on Friday afternoon for Action Mesothelioma Day.

Politicians, families and campaigners stood shoulder to shoulder in memory of all those who have lost their lives to the asbestos disease at the commemoration event, hosted by Manchester based charity Asbestos Victims Support.

Mr Lloyd, speaking out about the “injustice” endured by families, said: “Victims of asbestos exposure is a man-made tragedy. I stand in solidarity for all those that are suffering and have died from this cruel illness. There have been too many deaths in Rochdale - where we had one of the first and biggest asbestos companies - and around the world.

Mr Lloyd added: “Asbestos Victims Support are doing important work raising this issue and leading the campaign for justice for victims and their families across Greater Manchester.

"There is an injustice here and I will do my part to help in any way I can in Parliament. I fully support calls for more research and better compensation - it is only right. The more we can show and tell the stories of all the innocent lives lost, the greater pressure we can bring to bear for justice.”

Asbestos Victims Support, formed by a group of asbestos disease victims in Manchester in 1994, provides support to sufferers of asbestos diseases and has mounted a long running campaign for more research into diseases caused by the material.

Mesothelioma, which is an incurable cancer caused by asbestos exposure, can be found around the world with links being traced back to companies like the former Rochdale-based company Turner & Newall, once the world's largest asbestos factory in the Spodden Valley.

Action Mesothelioma Day brought together campaigners in Manchester and a delegation from Japan, where many cases of mesothelioma are appearing, bringing the activities of these companies to the fore. Many of the victims have been exposed because of factories that have used asbestos in the past and polluted the residential areas around them.