Grieving widow calls for wider health and safety probe after learning her husband was part of study in face-to-face meeting with Ford health director GRIEVING widow Julie West has finally discovered her husband was at the centre of a health investigation at Ford's Southampton factory.

A face-to-face meeting with the company's health services director yesterday confirmed that Jim West - who died in 2003 - was one of six men studied during an 18-month investigation into a cluster of oesophageal cancer cases at the Swaythling plant.

Now Mrs West is calling for a wider investigation at the factory where her husband worked for 25 years and intends to take her case to the Transport and General Workers' Union.

She told the Daily Echo that yesterday's meeting with Ford left her feeling "disappointed and frustrated" - and with many unanswered questions.

"I feel like I was fobbed off," she said. "They kept saying they couldn't comment on anything outside the parameters of the investigation because it was irrelevant. I want to know more about health and safety, what was in the paints and other chemicals used and whether the men were aware of their contents.

"I want to see a more thorough investigation looking at all cancer cases as well as health and safety at the plant over the years."

Mrs West's anger mounted further when she learned that the company did not keep any medical records on former employees.

"It's not good enough," she said. "As Jim's employer I feel they have a responsibility to him but they're not meeting it."

In a statement to the Daily Echo yesterday, Ford stressed that the independent investigation - looking at six oesophageal cancer cases between 1994 and 2005 - found no link between the disease and working at the Swaythling paint shop.

However, Mrs West is not satisfied with the conclusions and disappointed that she has not seen a copy of the investigation, which is currently being considered by the Transport and General Workers' Union.

"I don't think the investigation went deep enough," she said. "I was told it looked at six cases - including Jim's - during a specific time period but that they turned out to be a coincidence. They said they carried out the inquiry because an employee told them he had oesophageal cancer and he knew of five other members of staff who also had the disease. They said they went around and asked if anyone else had the disease and then looked at medical journals to reach their conclusions. But they didn't look for cases outside that time frame. It all seems a bit airy-fairy. It's frustrating because they still haven't really told me anything."

Mrs West said she would welcome a group meeting with Ford and all the other families concerned.

"The meeting hasn't really helped me. I wish we could have gone in together. Maybe if we are united in this we can get somewhere."

Meanwhile, other bereaved relatives, including Joan Spencer, whose husband David died of oesophageal cancer in 2005, contacted the Swaythling plant yesterday in the hope of some answers.

They were told that someone from Ford would contact them on Monday to arrange a meeting with the company's health services director.