Widow of former GPO engineer appeals for witnesses after husband’s asbestos-linked death

The widow of a former engineer who died from an asbestos-related cancer has issued an appeal for information from anyone who may have worked with him during his time at the General Post Office (GPO) in London in the 1960s to determine when and where he was exposed.  

Mr William Ernest Holbrook (formerly known as William Hole) from Ramsgate, Kent, was 80 years old when he died in November 2022.  

In the months before his death, he had been suffering from pain and difficulty breathing, and he was receiving ongoing treatment from his local hospital. 

However, it was not until he passed away that his widow, Lynne, received the news that his symptoms had been caused by mesothelioma – an incurable cancer attributed to occupational exposure to asbestos, which often takes place decades before symptoms arise. 

Determined to understand better when and where he was exposed to the dangerous material and whether more could have been done to protect his health, she went on to instruct industrial disease law experts at Thompsons Solicitors to investigate his work history. 

Her legal team, led by Emily Thornton, is now appealing for witnesses who may have worked with Mr Holbrook at any time during his career, particularly those who worked with him at Clissold and Highgate Telephone Exchanges in North London between 1963 and 1968. 

While the circumstances surrounding her husband’s death meant that Mrs Holbrook was unable to discuss the nature of his exposure with him, she does recall that he would often talk about how dusty the telephone exchanges had been and that he had been working in them when they were changing insulation which was thought to have been asbestos.  

At this time, he would have been known to his colleagues and customers as Bill Hole. 

Changing his name to Holbrook when he married in 1984, he went on to work in sales and spent the latter part of his working life as a paper merchant before retiring in the early 2000s. 

Commenting on the case and the appeal for witnesses, Emily Thornton, an industrial disease lawyer from Thompsons Solicitors who is representing Mrs Holbrook, said: “It has been very difficult for Mr Holbrook’s family to come to terms with the diagnosis of mesothelioma, which they only discovered after he had sadly passed away.  

“They are understandably very keen to know where he was exposed to asbestos and whether more could have been done to protect his health.  

“We would be grateful to hear from anyone who remembers coming into contact with Bill Hole during his time at the General Post Office, where he worked as an engineer in various telephone exchanges in the 1960s.  

“We are looking to better understand the working conditions at the various sites, particularly Clissold and Highgate Telephone Exchanges in North London. 

“Such information could prove vital in securing the answers Mrs Holbrook and her family are desperately looking to find.” 

Mrs Holbrook said: “William was always such a charmer. He left a lasting impression on anyone who met him, and his death has had a huge impact on anyone who knew and loved him. 

“We had been together for more than 45 years, and we share two wonderful children and a beautiful grandson. We are all still grieving for our loss, and we miss him very much.  

Commenting on her husband’s diagnosis, she added: “It was a real shock to find out after his death that he had suffered from mesothelioma, and whilst it made a lot of sense in many ways as to why his condition just wasn’t getting any better, it’s left us with so many unanswered questions. 

“We would be so grateful to anyone who may remember working with him or coming into contact with him when he worked as an engineer to come forward. The information they have might be able to help us better understand when and where he was exposed to asbestos.” 

Anyone with information can contact Emily Thornton at Thompsons Solicitors on 02920 445345, or via email at emilythornton@thompsons.law.