The Wednesday Cyril: Shame on Your Death Fibre

We're guessing that the one letter of support for Turner and Newall and old Dick Badami (below), the industrial illness and safety "expert" with a specialism in graphite rather than asbestos, on the Rochdale Obbie letters page will be somewhat undermined by this Coroner's report (above, and extract below):

Asbestos had part in death of pensioner

"An industrial cancer contributed to the death of a pensioner who worked at the former Turner and Newall asbestos factory, an inquest heard ... Mr Hilton had told members of his family he remembered that the warehouse was very dusty and would often find his overalls covered in dust ... He said: "I knew it was nasty stuff and I used to put a hankerchief over my mouth ...". The Coroner said "It is clear that malignant mesothelomoma was acquired during his employment at Turners." He added: "It is surprising how many individuals I come across who are still unaware of both the causal factors and the symptoms they suffer from so terribly. That's the reason why these cases still need to be publicised."

Perhaps Sir Cyril Smith MBE and brother Norman Smith MBE will read this report and suddenly have a Road to Damascus moment? Then again, you cannot teach an old dog new tricks. They may instead grasp at the Coroner's verdict of Natural Causes despite presence of a malignant mesithelomoma. How many more deaths have been so recorded? More on the following letter anon.