John Brown, from Ruislip, London, was employed by the University of London from 1978/79 to 2009/10. His role was as a senior clerk of works which entailed managing refurbishment and construction projects.
One of his colleagues recalled that he and John covered most of the site during their time. John also looked after the Students’ Union, Canterbury Building, Commonwealth Building, Hugh-Parry Student Halls, Senate House and other buildings on the campus which were old buildings that required updating.
As part of this process, John moved tiles to access ceiling space, and pipes believed to be insulated with asbestos often ran through the ceiling void. The tiles would sometimes crack and dust, thought to contain asbestos fibres, would be released.
John and his colleagues were also required to open service ducts for inspection. These were insulated and the access panels occasionally broke, again releasing dust.
They also had to supervise the stripping and replacement of floor tiles and fire doors, as well as the servicing of boilers, all of which were again believed to contain asbestos.
University of London confirms asbestos being removed from several areas
In 2003, correspondence from the University of London to workshop employees confirmed that asbestos was being removed from several areas.
Over the next two decades, a number of John’s colleagues went on to develop asbestos related diseases, such as mesothelioma.
John began to feel unwell in November 2023 with pain in his shoulder and had also lost strength in his knees and hips.
At the time, he was a full-time carer to his wife, Janet. Doctors initially suspected that it could be pneumonia or stress, but the family found the lack of diagnosis “frustrating.” In March 2024, John received a full scan from head to stomach, and that revealed a tumour. He was subsequently diagnosed with mesothelioma.
John and his family had no comprehension of how quickly he would become ill and the level of aggressiveness of the tumour meant that no treatment was advised. He was given steroids and liquid morphine to quell the pain.
The family had a birthday party for John, but he was asleep most of the day and unable to eat. John sadly died in July 2024, aged 75, leaving behind his wife, Janet, daughter, Clare, and son, Christopher.
Daughter pays tribute to the ‘most loving and gentle’ dad
Clare said: “It’s just a year since we lost Dad and it still feels very raw. He was the most loving and gentle person, and we miss him every single day.
“When he began to feel unwell, we maybe thought it was some sort of chest cold or infection, but his condition worsened very quickly. He was always generally active, so when he started struggling with walking, travelling and spending time with family, we suspected it was something else. However, nothing prepared us to hear that it was mesothelioma as it was something we weren’t familiar with.
“Although he was unable to receive treatment, he did receive excellent care towards the end of his life at the Michael Sobell House hospice in Northwood.
“Whilst we were at the hospital, we picked up an information pack, and the HASAG charity was mentioned. We got in touch, and they were really helpful. They visited Mum and Dad and offered counselling to the family. They also put us in touch with a solicitor to look at Dad’s case.
“Shockingly, we’ve gone on to hear that some of Dad’s former colleagues at the University of London are believed to be also living with or passed away from asbestos related diseases. While nothing will bring Dad back, we want to get him the answers he deserved so we can honour his memory.”
Family instructs asbestos-related disease lawyers
Following the 75-year-old’s death, John’s loved ones instructed expert asbestos-related disease lawyers at Irwin Mitchell to investigate whether his illness could be linked to his work at the University of London.
They’ve told their legal team that they’ve heard of at least five of John’s former colleagues who are either living with or have died from asbestos-related disease.
John’s daughter Clare Brown is now joining with the legal team to appeal for her dad’s former workmates to come forward with information on the conditions he faced.
For more details on the legal aspect of this case, visit the Irwin Mitchell website.
