Overview
- In High Court proceedings, Kirklees Council consented to judgment after accepting a breach of duty, leading to compensation of more than £1 million for Rick Oakes’s family.
- Oakes worked for the council as a joiner in schools across Kirklees, where he was exposed to asbestos many years before his illness.
- He developed breathlessness in November 2021, was diagnosed with mesothelioma in February 2022, received chemotherapy and later immunotherapy, and died on July 4, 2024, with an inquest ruling his death an industrial disease.
- His widow, Rachel, carried on the case and has been raising awareness, including a York garden event that brought in more than £20,000 for mesothelioma and hospice charities.
- Kirklees said it now follows robust, modern asbestos controls in its buildings, as lawyers warn asbestos still sits in many public sites such as schools and can harm staff if disturbed.