A PENSIONER who has suffered from an asbestos related disease for most of his life is calling for support from former colleagues.

Colin Morgan, 68, from Penarth, was exposed to asbestos dust and fibres throughout his working life at the former Brains brewery on Caroline Street and now wants other employees to come forward.

Colin has since suffered a serious lung disease which has caused breathlessness and limited his daily movement.

The brewery contained a large network of asbestos-insulated pipes which ran throughout the premises, including the cellars, steam room and boiler room.

It was Colin’s job to sand and paint the asbestos lagged pipes during refurbishment.

Helen Bradley, an experienced industrial disease specialist and partner with Birchall Blackburn Law, says:

“We’d like to know exactly where all the asbestos lagged pipes where within the brewery, and any details about the laggers and the work carried out on the pipes.

“We also know that an old mash tun – a type of vat in which malt is mashed during the brewing process – was removed from the premises while Colin worked there.

“These huge vats were insulated with asbestos to help maintain a constant temperature. We’re hoping that former employees with more information like this will come forward to help Colin.”

Jan Garvey, from the National Asbestos Helpline, says: “Asbestos-related diseases, like asbestosis and pleural thickening, can take 10 to 50 years to develop after exposure to the deadly dust and fibres.

“When the symptoms finally take hold they can make retirement a misery. Simply walking a short distance can leave a person struggling for breath and they can develop a debilitating cough, tiredness and weight loss.

“Colin needs his former colleagues to come forward or he will struggle if he can’t get the right support to help him cope with the lung disease.”

Brewery spokesman Charles Brain said he was unaware of anyone being exposed to asbestos at the old brewery saying: “Mr Morgan did not work there for long, so he may have been exposed to asbestos somewhere else.”