Family Of Huddersfield Factory Worker Who Died Of Asbestos-Related Disease Launches Urgent Witness Appeal
The daughter of a former factory worker and grandfather who died after being diagnosed with asbestosis, has called on former colleagues to come forward with information from his time working for Huddersfield’s David Brown Tractors where they believe he was exposed to asbestos.
Alfred Taylor, a father of two, died in July 2025, shortly after being diagnosed with asbestosis, aged 81. His family maintains that his death was avoidable.
In the 1970s, Alfred, known as Alf, worked on the production line at David Brown Tractors. The company was a major employer in the local area and was for a time Britain’s third-largest tractor manufacturer and held a Royal Warrant.
Alf’s daughter, Vanessa Taylor, is asking for former colleagues who worked at the factory between 1974 and 1978, to help the family with information about asbestos present within the factory and in the tractors it produced.
Vanessa, who lives in Lepton, Huddersfield, said that her father had been in good health before developing asbestosis and had not smoked or drunk alcohol for over thirty years. He had moved to Scotland to enjoy his retirement, where he supported Celtic FC and collected antiques.
“Because he was healthy, we thought he’d be with us longer,” she explains “My dad lived for his family and always wanted to look after us. It’s devastating that he wasn’t here to see Phoebe, his only grandchild, graduate. He would have been so proud of her. I am still struggling to come to terms with his death.”
Asbestosis is a serious, progressive disease caused by breathing in high concentrations of asbestos for a long period of time. It causes lung scarring, shortness of breath and causes the heart to enlarge. There is no cure.
Alf told his family that David Brown Tractors used asbestos brake linings in their vehicles, that asbestos was in the air, inside the buildings and in the vehicle parts. Alf worked in the parts warehouse and was never provided with PPE or warned about the dangers of asbestos exposure.
The family also believes Alf was exposed to asbestos while working overtime brushing and painting lagged pipes covered in asbestos during weekends and shutdowns. The pipes ran around the factory’s perimeter and Alf would routinely breathe in asbestos dust as he worked. According to information available, asbestos was removed from several locations within the factory following its closure.
Asbestos was used in manufacturing a wide range of products and in building materials, until it was banned in the UK in 1999. Due to the insidious nature of the toxic fibres, it can take decades before symptoms of asbestos-related diseases fully appear.
It is estimated that over 5,000 people a year still die of asbestos-related illnesses in the UK. In 2023, there were 497 asbestosis-related deaths reported.
Asbestos disease specialists, Hodge Jones and Allen, have been instructed to help the family search for answers surrounding Alf’s death.
Isobel Lovett, Partner and Head of the Asbestos and Workplace Illness team at Hodge Jones & Allen said: “Asbestosis can be a severely debilitating and progressive illness which is caused by significant exposure to asbestos dust. Unfortunately, it would appear that Alfred worked in environments where he was regularly exposed to asbestos fibres.
“We hope to speak to any of Alfred’s ex-colleagues who might be able to attest to the presence and use of asbestos materials in the David Brown Tractor factory during the time he worked there.”
If you or a family member is able to assist with this appeal, please contact Isobel Lovett at Hodge Jones & Allen Solicitors, on 0330 822 3451 or email ilovett@hja.net.
Any information you can provide will be dealt with in the strictest confidence.