A PUBLIC meeting has been called to help people who fear they may have been exposed to deadly dust from an asbestos factory.

Earlier this month, mesothelioma sufferer Caroline Wilcock, who grew up in Bowburn, became the first to successfully sue the successors of the County Durham village’s now-closed Cape asbestos factory for damages without having worked there.

The 51-year-old London-based fashion designer, who won a payout described only as substantial, is said to have cleared the way for any diagnosed mesothelioma sufferer who contracted the disease while living in Bowburn between the 1960s and late 1980s to sue for compensation.

But her case and the publicity it has attracted has heightened fears in her home village, as mesothelioma takes up to 40 years to develop.

The cancer is relatively rare, with about one in ten people thought to be genetically vulnerable.

But now the North-East Asbestos Support and Advice Group (Nasag), which was established eight years ago, is organising a public meeting to share information about the condition.

It will be held at a location yet to be confirmed in Bowburn, probably within a fortnight.

Nasag and the Durham County Trades Union Congress (TUC) are hoping to set up a local support group and talks will be held with Bowburn Community Partnership next week.

Bill Lawrence, an industrial disease specialist with Nasag, said he was worried people would not get the best advice without a local support group being established.

More details about the meeting will be publicised as they are finalised.

Meanwhile, Nasag is warning people to be on their guard against law firms offering to take up a compensation case on their behalf, fearing so-called ambulance chasers will take advantage of the situation.

Andrew Morgan, the lawyer who represented Miss Wilcock, predicted the number of potential claims against Cape over the next 50 years would be numbered in tens or hundreds.

Cape has made no public comment on the case at any stage.

To speak to Mr Morgan at Field Fisher Waterhouse lawyers, call 0207-861-4000.