Thompsons Solicitors are urgently appealing for witnesses following the death of David Portway, originally from Newcastle upon Tyne, who sadly died from mesothelioma, a cancer caused by asbestos exposure, in 2022 at the age of 77.
This appeal is particularly urgent as the three-year deadline for making legal claims approaches next month.
Lawyers acting on behalf of Mr Portway’s widow, Wendy, are keen to speak with individuals who worked alongside Mr Portway at C A Parsons & Co, specifically at the company’s Heaton Works premises on Shields Road or Dungeness Power Station, between 1960 and 1967.
David Portway
Mesothelioma is an aggressive cancer affecting the lining of the lungs, typically caused by exposure to asbestos. Although asbestos was banned in the UK in 1999, the disease can take decades to develop, meaning people can become ill many years after their initial exposure.
Under UK law, claims for asbestos-related illnesses must generally be initiated within three years of a person's death or diagnosis, making it critical to gather information and witnesses urgently before this legal window closes.
Mr Portway served an apprenticeship as a mechanical fitter, initially joining the Apprentice Training School in 1960 before moving to various departments, including the Insulating Shop, Light Assembly Shop, Blade Shop, Erecting Bays, Construction Millwrights, and Drawing School. He worked in the Outside Department at Dungeness Power Station from June 1964 onwards and continued there as a fitter until approximately 1967.
After he retired, Mr and Mrs Portway moved to North Berwick.
Joseph Dowey, an asbestos lawyer representing Mrs Wendy Portway from Thompsons Solicitors’ Newcastle office, said:
“We urgently need to speak with individuals who worked at C A Parsons & Co between 1960 and 1967 to help us understand the working conditions Mr Portway experienced more clearly. Any information, however small it may seem, could be crucial in supporting Mrs Portway's claim and achieving justice for the family.”
If you have any information that could help, please contact Thompsons Solicitors directly. Anyone wishing to provide information should email Joseph Dowey at JosephDowey@Thompsons.law or call 0191 269 0457.
Asbestos disease diagnosis? Talk to us for advice and support on how to secure compensation.
If you or a loved one have been diagnosed with an asbestos-related disease, we can support you with advice on how to make a claim.
The process will be explained in plain English and with no obligation – our priority is to provide you with the best, expert advice on whether you have a valid case for compensation, and to signpost you to further sources of support.
There are strict time limits applied to making a claim – usually three years from the date of diagnosis. It doesn’t matter if the exposure to asbestos took place – as it often does – decades ago, the three year time limit applies to the date of knowledge of diagnosis or date of death.
For further information, visit our How to Make A Compensation Claim page.