The daughters of a former Ford Dagenham worker have spoken about the "devastation" of losing their father from asbestos-related cancer and are appealing for his former colleagues to come forward.
Alphanso Eyers, from Woolwich, died on May 28, 2021, aged 71 from mesothelioma.
He had worked at Ford's Dagenham factory from 1973 to 1988.
Following his death, Alphanso's partner, Beverley Brown, and daughters Christine Eyers, Lorraine Eyers and Reba Brown-Eyers, instructed lawyers at Irwin Mitchell to investigate if his illness could be linked to his work history.
Christine, Lorraine and Reba are now appealing for any of their dad's old workmates to come forward with any information on the working conditions he would have faced.
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Reba said: "It has been devastating losing my dad. He was someone I could always talk to about life and world politics.
"He was always a wise old sage and had such a beautiful aura - people always gravitated towards him. My sisters and I have had an immeasurable loss in our lives.
"If anyone who remembers working with Dad in the ‘70s and ‘80s could come forward, my sisters and I would be so grateful.
"It would be great to hear from people and it could be such a big help in establishing the facts about his mesothelioma Dad was looking for."
Mesothelioma is a cancer of the lining of the lung associated with exposure to asbestos, often decades previously.
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Alphanso's family are particularly keen to trace anyone who worked with him during his time as a production operator at the Dagenham Ford factory for 16 years.
He left the Dagenham plant in April 1988, having risen to be an advanced production operator.
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Paul Ramsay, asbestos-related disease specialist at Irwin Mitchell, added: "A year on from Alphanso’s death, the family remain devastated by their loss.
"Understandably they have a number of questions about how Alphanso was exposed to asbestos, which has made the process of trying to come to terms with his loss all the more difficult.
"While nothing can make up for their loss we’re determined to help provide the family with the answers the family deserve.
"If any of his former workmates could come forward, their help could prove vital in giving the whole family and Alphanso’s children some form of closure."
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A spokesperson at Ford Motor Company said: "While it is not appropriate for us to discuss individual matters of this kind, Ford has settled a number of mesothelioma-related claims, relating to former employees who worked at Dagenham during the 1960s to 1980s, when the risks of over exposure to asbestos were far less understood than in subsequent years.
"Any claims are considered on individual facts and circumstances.
"It remains Ford’s top priority to ensure the safety and wellbeing of our people, and we have in place extensive systems to ensure we take all necessary safety precautions when dealing with potentially hazardous materials in the workplace."
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