Figures issued by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) have revealed that every week 20 tradesmen die from asbestos-related diseases, and this number is set to increase.

Former tradesman and England and Arsenal footballing legend, Ian Wright, has given his support to help highlight the importance of HSE's "Asbestos: The Hidden Killer" campaign which is running throughout October and November and aims to reduce the rising death rate by educating today's tradesmen about the danger that asbestos presents to them.

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Ian Wright was shocked when he learnt that 20 tradesmen a week were dying from having been exposed to asbestos in their working lives.

He said: "I used to be a plasterer before becoming a professional footballer, and was really surprised to learn that the number of deaths is actually on the increase year on year. If that was footballers dying, the whole of the premiership would be wiped out in just three months."

Steve Coldrick, Director of the HSE's Disease Reduction Programme said: "We need to educate tradesmen about how asbestos and its dangers are relevant to them. We want them to change the way they work so that they don't put their lives at risk.

"The HSE campaign is vital because research shows that only one in ten tradesmen know that exposure to asbestos can prove fatal" says Jill Morrell, Head of Public Affairs at the British Lung Foundation. "The asbestos-related cancer mesothelioma is a cruel disease which as yet has no cure. We must do all we can to prevent more people dying from this preventable disease"

(CD/JM)