Footballers who support asbestos campaign from around Birmingham, Walsall and the Black Country are following the example set by former tradesman and England footballing legend, Ian Wright, who has given his support to help highlight the importance of the Health and Safety Executive's (HSE) 'Asbestos: The Hidden Killer' campaign.

The campaign aims to reduce the rising death rate amongst tradespeople by educating today's workers and trainees about the danger that asbestos presents to them.

Saturday and Sunday league footballers from around Birmingham are backing the campaign by highlighting their concern for amateur footballers who need fitness at the weekend but may be risking their lives on weekdays by exposing themselves to asbestos.

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Electricians, plasterers, plumbers and carpenters are all at risk of exposure to asbestos in buildings erected or refurbished before the year 2000 and figures issued by the HSE reveal that across the whole of the West Midlands Region one person dies a painful death every three days from Mesothelioma. Every week 20 UK tradesmen die from asbestos-related diseases and this number is set to increase.

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

"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," said Campaign Ambassador Ian Wright.

"I can really relate to the situations tradesmen find themselves in and urge them to take care."

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."

(CD/JM)