Two of the North-East’s top politicians have backed a Gazette campaign for a chest disease testing centre to be built in South Tyneside.

Lord Dixon of Jarrow, and the town’s MP, Stephen Hepburn, have pledged their support for the Test the Rest campaign to speed up care for sick ex-miners.

The Middlesbrough-based newspaper want a new centre to remove the need for chest disease sufferers to travel to Newcastle and Durham for care.

Lord Dixon has already spoken on two occasions in the House of Lords about emphysema and the number of ex-miners still waiting for compensation.

He said the situation was scandalous and added: “I certainly support the Gazette’s campaign to try and get a centre set up in the South Tyneside.”

Mr Hepburn said he had 358 outstanding compensation claims in his constituency yet to be settled.

The problem did not lie with the Government – which had made money available – but with a court judgement which ruled hat every one of them must be individually assessed, he said.

Mr Hepburn added: “I am in regular contact with almost 100 miners who are in despair. To see these men who were once fine and healthy and who now have horrendous injuries, it breaks my heart.

“We need a test centre in the area, especially when men are dying by the month. They need our help.”

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