Asbestos could pose a cancer threat to millions of Britons, with the disease already affecting a “shocking” number of people.
Mesothelioma is a rare and aggressive form of cancer that is often accrued via exposure to asbestos fibres.
More than 2,700 people are diagnosed with the condition each year in the UK, with those over the age of 75 most affected.
According to Mesothelioma UK CEO Liz Darlison MBE, anybody can be at risk due to high levels of asbestos detected across the country.
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She told GB News that the number of people suffering from the condition is a “shameful” indictment of how the Government is handling the issue.
“We’ve got to remove asbestos full stop”, she said.
“If we don’t, there’s always going to be a risk of some airborne asbestos and people breathing it in or ingesting it and then going on to develop mesothelioma.
“Sadly there is no safe level of exposure to asbestos. Shamefully, in the UK we have the highest incidence of this disease in the world.
“That is shocking when you consider this is a completely preventable cancer.”
Darlison made the comments after the launch of the Don’t Let the Dust Settle campaign, which aims to prevent cases of mesothelioma by stopping the spread of asbestos.
Lisa Staniforth spoke about losing her father to mesothelioma
GB NEWS
A petition launched by the group is calling on the Government to commit to a plan for the safe removal of asbestos over the next 40 years.
Lisa Staniforth, whose father died from mesothelioma at the age of 64, is backing the campaign in a bid to prevent other families suffering a similar loss.
She told GB News’ Yorkshire and Humber reporter Anna Riley: “Our lives are never going to be the same again.
“It’s really important to raise awareness of this because it could affect anybody, anyone you know, a friend, a family member.
Asbestos poses a threat to humans
GB NEWS
“I feel the Government should be doing more to help remove asbestos from our buildings and help protect future generations from suffering and having the same diseases that unfortunately my dad and many other people have experienced.”
The Health and Safety Executive said: “There is currently no evidence a central register would lead to improvements or provide more protection from asbestos exposure than the current requirements than the current requirements for sharing information.
“Asbestos should be removed where it is in poor condition or cannot be safely managed.”
Conservative Jane Hunt MP told GB News that there is cross party support for a national register on the matter.
She told Martin Daubney and Pip Thomson: “I’ve already held a Westminster Hall debate a few months ago, and that was cross party supported.
“I was very grateful to all MPs that were involved in that debate. It drew attention to the fact that we are all interested in trying to get rid of asbestos.
“We can firstly set up a national register, then set a timeframe for eradicating it.”
The use of asbestos was completely banned in 1999, but materials containing asbestos are still found in many older buildings.
