Calogero Ingrao worked at the Johnson Matthey metal factory between 1966 and 1992

A former Brimsdown factory worker who believes his job at a metal factory exposed him to lethal asbestos is appealing to former work colleagues for help with a legal claim.

Calogero Ingrao, also known as Charlie, recently received a devastating diagnosis of the asbestos-related cancer mesothelioma and would like to hear from those who worked at the Johnson Matthey factory in Jeffreys Road, Brimsdown, at a similar time to him.

Calogero, now aged 78, worked at the metal factory between 1966 and 1992. It processed metal and melted-down materials to produce blocks of metal and Calogero joined the company when he was aged 25, at first working in the nickel department before moving to the evaluation department where he spent the majority of his time.

He mixed and grinded up raw materials from the mines which then went into a furnace to be melted and made into blocks. The work was very dusty and Calogero recalls that the roof of the factory was made from asbestos corrugated sheets and that there was pipework in the factory.

The pension was diagnosed with mesothelioma in October 2022 and is now receiving treatment. The diagnosis was devastating for Calogero and his family and as a result they approached asbestos specialist claims lawyers Daniel Easton and Heetasha Khosla at law firm Leigh Day.

Heetasha said: “It is possible that Mr Ingrao came into contact with materials in the factory that contained asbestos and we are appealing for information from people who worked at the Johnson Matthey factory at a similar time, or that did a similar job, to assist with our investigations into the claim.”

Anyone who worked at the Johnson Matthey factory between the 1960s and 1990s and remembers asbestos is asked to contact Jessica Pittman at Leigh Day by email on [email protected] or by telephone on 020 3780 0465.

No news is bad news

Independent news outlets like ours – reporting for the community without rich backers – are under threat of closure, turning British towns into news deserts.

The audiences they serve know less, understand less, and can do less.

If our coverage has helped you understand our community a little bit better, please consider supporting us with a monthly, yearly or one-off donation.

Choose the news. Don’t lose the news.

Monthly direct debit

Annual direct debit

£5 per month supporters get a digital copy of each month’s paper before anyone else, £10 per month supporters get a digital copy of each month’s paper before anyone else and a print copy posted to them each month. £50 annual supporters get a digital copy of each month's paper before anyone else.