Pubco sued for "asbestos related cancer

A former licensee who believes he contracted cancer from asbestos in the cellar of his pub is suing the owner of the outlet for compensation.

Trevor Ives was licensee of the Cardigan Arms in Kirstall Road, Leeds, for 17 years along with his television-actress wife Joyce Kennedy, from 1979 until he retired in 1996.

Last year Mr Ives was diagnosed with mesothelioma - a form of lung cancer linked with asbestos. There is no effective treatment for the disease and no cure. Doctors told Mr Ives to look back over his working life to identify any contact he may have had with asbestos and he remembered the cellar of the Cardigan Arms, which was then owned by the Allied group.

Mr Ives claimed there was asbestos in the cellar, the boiler house, at the bottom of the cellar stairs and in the despatch area where the barrels were dumped.

He also claimed that when the draymen found out there was asbestos in the pub they would not deliver beer and he and a friend had to go to the brewery to collect barrels.

Allied then took action and a team of specialists removed the asbestos, installed screens and extractor fans.

But Mr Ives is now taking legal action against the pub's current owner Punch Retail.

A spokeswoman for Punch said it was investigating the claims.