REGARDING the letter from Terry Tucker (HAS, Nov 3) welcoming the Government's decision to recognise Dupuytren’s contracture – or "miner's claw" – as an industrial disease, I had an operation for the condition more than 30 years ago, while I was in the RAF.

I had both hands and a foot operated on (yes, it affects feet as well).

I have known people who have had to have fingers amputated as they had left it too late to be operated on.

I believe my father suffered from this condition, but he put it down to holding bricks, as he was a bricklayer all his life.

It can affect people of all ages and professions, indeed a certain Maggie Thatcher had the operation – I'm sure she never worked in the pits before she took office!

Barry Merchant, Ferryhill