A NEWPORT grandfather who is living in fear of developing a deadly disease backed a campaign to overturn a House of Lords decision to deny him and hundreds of others the right to compensation.

William Scarlett, 69, was diagnosed with pleural plaque five years ago - a scarring of the lungs caused by exposure to asbestos, which can lead to cancer.

The plaque areas can develop into a type of cancer called mesothelioma, a rare condition caused by inhalation of asbestos fibres or dust, as well as other asbestos-related diseases.

In October last year, the House of Lords ruled sufferers were not entitled to compensation because pleural plaque was not a recognised diseases.

Now the GMB Union and solicitors Leo Abse and Cohen have launched an online petition to try and change that decision.

Mr Scarlett takes seven tablets a day for the condition, experiences regular breathing problems and lives in fear of developing an illness that could kill him.

He says he was exposed to asbestos in the late 1950s when he worked as a carpenter in the shipyards of Belfast.

"We never knew that anything was wrong with asbestos. It was always around in those days.

"You often wonder what is going to happen in the future. It could turn into anything.

"It would just be nice to have something so that if anything does happen you can give your family something," he said.

The campaigners want the government to overturn the decision, as the Scottish parliament did following the Lords decision.

GMB Wales legal officer Nick Hughes claimed pleural plaques are recognised as a disease in many medical textbooks and should be recognised as an asbestos-related injury.