THE family of a joiner from East Lancashire who died from an asbestos-related condition have appealed for his ex-workmates to shed some light on his demise.

George Charlesworth died at the age of 79 last November after suffering from a range of conditions such as nausea, back pain and a persistent cough.

But it was only after a post-mortem examination that his family discovered he had contracted mesothelioma, the asbestos-related lung disease.

Now his widow Sheila, 80, and daughter Julie, 41, of Brierfield, are seeking answers, stretching back to his first job as an apprentice at a former builders and joiners, aged just 15.

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Julie said: “My dad was a wonderful, dedicated and hardworking man who really enjoyed his job.

“He was always so active, so to watch him deteriorate so quickly was incredibly hard – even more so when we learnt after he had passed away that he had been suffering from mesothelioma. We are hopeful that his workmates from across the country will get in touch to help us with our investigation into how, when and where he was exposed to asbestos in a bid to understand whether his illness could have been prevented.”

His first posting took him all over the country and he would later work for a joiners in Windsor, where he was employed at the likes of Eton College and Windsor Castle.

Later in the 60s he moved back to Lancashire and spent eight years with another joiners, which involved shop-fitting work across Burnley and Pendle.

Before retirement he also worked for a glass firm and for a local authority. The Charlesworths have enlisted the help of industrial disease legal experts Leigh Day as they inquire about the joiner’s working conditions.

Helen Ashton, a partner in Leigh Day’s Manchester-based industrial disease team, said: “Mesothelioma is an aggressive cancer that inevitably has a devastating impact on both its victims and their loved ones.

“His family are now appealing to his work colleagues from across the country to get in touch with any potential information.”

People can call Helen Ashton on 0161 393 3544 or email her at hashton@leighday.co.uk