FORMER colleagues of a well known Teignmouth rugby player who died from an asbestos related cancer are being urged to help with the family's battle for compensation.

Richard 'Titch' Hooper was a carpenter who came into contact with the deadly material.

Now a lawyer would like to hear from anybody who worked with him in the 1960s and 70s.

He started with the now defunct J H Hooper & Sons (no relation) in 1963 until 1971.

Lesley Mynett, a specialist industrial disease solicitor, said: 'Before his death, Richard began a legal fight for compensation against the firm, and told me stories of how he had been exposed to asbestos on a number of occasions on house building jobs throughout the south west, including specific developments in Teignmouth and Shaldon.

'He said they would be cutting asbestos for a few days at a time. At some point they switched to a replacement product, which shockingly also contained asbestos.

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