UNION leaders yesterday staged the first of a series of public meetings aimed at getting justice for victims of asbestos-related diseases.

The GMB event, at Sunderland's Stadium of Light, came in the wake of the Fairchild judgement, in December.

In that, the Appeal Court ruled that workers exposed to asbestos dust by more than one employer could not claim damages, unless they could provide which one was responsible.

GMB Northern secretary Kevin Curran said: "This region has a high proportion of sufferers of asbestos-related illnesses, due to the industrial heritage of the region.

"The cynical attempts by insurance companies to dodge their liabilities to these workers, and the more recent Fairchild decision, has left victims and their families greatly concerned that they are going to be left without their rightful compensation.

"We hope to gather enough support to persuade the Government to introduce a fund of last resort to enable victims to still get adequate compensation when insurance companies fail.

"But our immediate challenge is to get the Fairchild decision overturned. We are calling on people of the North-East to help us in this campaign."