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27 May 2021 | Witness Appeals |

Witness Appeal: Did you work with Anthony Sturton at Reliance Telephone Co Ltd or Pye Business Communications Ltd in London?


The specialist asbestos claims team at Hugh James have been instructed to pursue a civil compensation claim on behalf of the family of Mr Anthony Sturton, from South West London.

Anthony Sturton former employee of Reliance Telephone Co Ltd and Pye Business Communications Ltd in London

Anthony Sturton sadly died from the asbestos-related condition, mesothelioma, in September 2020 and the Coroner recorded a verdict of death as a result of industrial disease.

Mr Sturton’s disease was very aggressive, and he died shortly after his initial diagnosis.

Whilst this meant that we were unable to carry out detailed investigations before Mr Sturton died, he was however able to confirm that he had come into contact with asbestos dust during his time as a telephone engineer, when working in customer premises which also contained asbestos insulated services.

Mr Sturton was employed by the Reliance Telephone Co Ltd between 1996 – 1969, and his family are now looking for any former colleagues who worked there at this same time, who can confirm how the exposure happened.

Mr Sturton also worked at Pye Business Communications Ltd and was employed between 1970 – 1971. We believe there is also possibility that he was exposed to asbestos during his employment here.

Mr Sturton’s family are now looking for any former colleagues that may have worked at the Reliance Telephone Co Ltd and/or Pye Business Communications Ltd at this same time as Mr Sturton and are perhaps able to shed some light on potential exposure to asbestos.

Natalia Rushworth-White, Senior Associate at Hugh James, said:

We know that Mr Sturton’s illness was asbestos related, and he was able to tell us that he’d come into contact with asbestos dust whilst working as a telephone engineer, but we’re just not sure exactly how this exposure came about. If you worked at either of the companies Mr Syurton worked at, any information you can provide could therefore be really helpful for Mr Sturton’s family in obtaining answers as to what happened to him at work all those years ago.

Based in Cardiff and London, Hugh James is a Top 100 firm with a specialist industrial illness team who represent individuals and groups throughout England and Wales.

Armed with the experience and specialist knowledge that is require for this complex area, Hugh James has helped thousands of people who have been either injured or developed an illness as a result of their work. The team also has significant experience in working on industrial disease group actions, where more than one person has been affected in the work place. For more information on the dangers of asbestos and what it can do, please click here.

The Sturton family has instructed specialist asbestos lawyers at Hugh James to investigate how Mr Sturton came in to contact with the hazardous material, asbestos. Former colleagues that knew Mr Sturton can get in touch with the firm by calling the asbestos team on 029 2039 1100.

Disclaimer: The information on the Hugh James website is for general information only and reflects the position at the date of publication. It does not constitute legal advice and should not be treated as such. If you would like to ensure the commentary reflects current legislation, case law or best practice, please contact the blog author.

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