A stonemason has engaged lawyers after suffering irreparable lung damage from regularly breathing in silica dust at work.

Fenton says his job was to use an angle grinder to cut slabs, making room for sinks and hobs and so the stone could fit the dimensions of customers’ homes and businesses.

He remembers the work was “very dusty” and that the extraction systems which should have removed the dust, were “ineffective”.

Fenton also remembers that despite wearing the masks, as he was advised to by his employer, they did not prevent him breathing in silica dust. He also says that his clothes, hands, face and hair were often left coated in silica dust from the work.

In December 2022, Fenton suffered a transient ischaemic attack – what’s known as a mini stroke – and tests revealed an issue with his lungs.