Thousands sign up to urge action over 'cruel' disease

Please provide any information you think may be helpful to mesothelioma victimd and their familiesA LEEDS MP visited 10 Downing Street to hand over a charter signed by more than 14,000 people calling for action on a deadly asbestos-linked cancer.
The charter, urging more support for mesothelioma victims and their families, was presented to launch the Action Mesothelioma Campaign which is to run for a year and is backed by a range of organisations, including the British Lung Foundation. Leeds West Labour MP John Battle, whose constituency was home to the Armley J W Roberts asbestos factory which left a legacy of asbestos-related illness in the city, was in the delegation, along with Russell Hancock, son of Armley campaigner June Hancock. Mesothelioma victim Mrs Hancock won a legal battle for compensation from the factory's owners, Turner Newall, before she died in 1997.The Action Mesothelioma patient charter calls for faster diagnosis, better treatment and care services, more funding for research and measures to prevent future asbestos exposure.Mr Battle said: "This cruel disease kills one person every five hours in the UK and this figure is set to peak over the next decade. This campaign is vital to raise awareness of the condition and also the potential danger that people could face from asbestos in their homes when undertaking DIY projects.For more information about the British Lung Foundation, or Action Mesothelioma, visit www.lunguk.org or call the BLF Helpline on 08458 50 50 20.