'I will battle to get justice for my David' - Widow to fight Tesco in asbestos claim

Father-of-three David Priest, 69, was a manager for Tesco between 1974 and 1985 at various shops in the West Midlands, helping to oversee expansions at supermarkets in Dudley, Smethwick and Edgbaston.

He recalled asbestos boards and tiles being cut up as part of building work, and said he would help to clear up afterwards, his family said.

After being diagnosed last January with mesothelioma, a terminal cancer caused by exposure to asbestos dust, Mr Priest only lived for another seven months.

In the last few weeks he was confined to bed, too weak to even eat, and when he took his final breath wife Jeanette said it was a relief to let him go.

Robbed of the retirement they had planned to spend together, 55-year-old Mrs Priest has now vowed to fulfil his dying wish and get justice for her husband.

Mr Priest, originally from Tipton, had worked in the food retail industry since leaving school.

His wife also worked for the company, and said: "He was a stickler for doing things properly and would always make sure that areas were cleaned so the dust and debris didn't accumulate.

"That was the only place he could remember coming into contact with asbestos, but of course he had no idea of the dangers at the time."

Mr Priest, who also had seven grandchildren and great-grandchildren, moved to Blackpool with Jeanette in 1990 and ran The Andora Hotel on South Shore, closing it only shortly before he got ill.

Both shared a love of travel and planned to spend their retirement visiting different parts of the world, but following Mr Priest's diagnosis he was unable to even leave the house. Mrs Priest added: "Christmas 2015 was the first we hadn't worked in 25 years.

"What we didn't know then was that it would be our last Christmas together.

"We found out in the January, and to be told you are dying and have nine months at the most to live is horrendous.

"We couldn't do anything. People kept saying we should make the most of the time, but how could we do that when he was so ill.

"He was in a lot of pain, but he didn't want to go into hospital or a hospice, he wanted to be at home.

"I was devastated and still am, but by the end it was a relief. I couldn't see him suffer anymore."

Lawyers at Slater and Gordon, who David instructed before his death, are now appealing for people who may have worked with him in places where asbestos was present.

Although it is banned now, the harmful substance was widely used in buildings until the 1980s.

Emma Newman, an industrial disease specialist at Slater and Gordon, said: "David said he was never warned or told to take any precautions against this toxic substance."

A Tesco spokesman said: "We take the health and safety of our employees extremely seriously but given this is an ongoing legal matter, we are unable to provide any further comment at this time."

Anyone who believes they can help should contact Emma at Slater Gordon on 0161 383 3474 or email Emma.Newman@slatergordon.co.uk