A WOMAN who lost two husbands to asbestos-related cancer has made it her life’s mission to tell the public about the horrors of mesothelioma.

Avril Grant, 50, from Main Road in Hoo, near Rochester, said: “I have had my heart wrenched out twice and really want to make sure other people don’t have to go through what I have.

“I just feel that every time this asbestosis cancer is spoken about it is just forgotten again and again.”

Avril won £40,000 compensation after the death of her husband, Chris Grant, from mesothelioma in 2001 and is still fighting for compensation for the death of her second partner, Leslie Alford, who passed away from the same complaint in March, 2006.

Both men breathed in asbestos fibres during the early years of their working lives and developed incurable mesothelioma decades later.

Mr Alford, who was 60 when he died, is believed to have inhaled fibres from the brake linings of wheels he changed during 30 years as a truck driver and mechanic.

Mr Grant, 58, was exposed to asbestos as a trainee electrician 40 years before his death.

Mesothelioma is a form of cancer which affects the mesothelium, a thin membrane lining the inner surface of the chest cavity and the lungs. It develops at least 15 years after exposure to asbestos.

Many victims are unable to claim compensation for their condition from their former employers or insurance companies

Medway is a hot-spot for the disease because of work involved re-fitting warships at Chatham Dockyard and the areas’s historic employment links with the insulation industry.

There are 1,800 cases of mesothelioma nationally, and Medway has 35 of those.

Consultant chest physician at Medway Maritime Hospital Dr Alaisdair Stewart said: "This statistic is significantly above the national average and this figure is set to peak over the next decade.”

People suffering from pleural plaques, or scarring of the lung, are asked to contact Gillingham and Rainham MP Paul Clark to form part of register he intends to present to Downing Street.

Sufferers, who are 20 per cent more likely to develop mesothelioma, can register at www.paulclarkmp.com or by emailing paulclarkcampaign@inbox.com.

A national awareness day for the disease, Action Mesothelioma, takes place on Wednesday.

Anyone seeking support or information about the disease can call Kent and Medway Cancer Network mesothelioma nurse specialist, Frances McKay, at Medway Maritime Hospital on 01634 830000 extension 5212.