Widow of former factory worker at Aston Martin site near Banbury appeals for information following his asbestos-related death
The widow of a man who worked at an Aston Martin factory near Banbury has appealed for more information about the working conditions at the site during the time he worked there.
Diane Hill’s husband, Christopher, died in December 2023, aged 45, of mesothelioma, a type of cancer caused by asbestos exposure.
Christopher worked at Aston Martin for 21 years, first as an industrial trainee while on a university placement and then as a full-time employee.
He mainly worked at the Bloxham site but also spent around a month setting up a new production line in Newport Pagnell.
According to Diane, Christopher, who died while still employed by Aston Martin, was “proud” to have worked for the company and called it his “dream job”.
Diane has now enlisted the help of industrial disease specialists at Leigh Day solicitors to investigate Christopher’s case.
Leigh Day would like to speak to anyone who may have information on the presence, disturbance, or removal of asbestos from the Aston Martin Bloxham site and the Newport site from 1999 to 2001.
Leigh Day solicitor Catriona Ratcliffe said: “It is really worrying that we are seeing more people of Chris’s age and younger being diagnosed with asbestos-related diseases. Although the use of asbestos was banned by 1999, it continued to be present in buildings such as the factories where Chris worked.
“If anyone can provide information about the presence or removal of asbestos from either of these Aston Martin sites between 1999 and 2001, we would really like to hear from you, no matter how insignificant you think that information might be.”
Aston Martin has been contacted for comments.