Activists from the construction workers' union Ucatt had hoped ministers would act swiftly to overturn the Law Lords controversial decision to ban compensation claims by Wearside pleural plaques sufferers.

Pleural plaques is scarring of the lungs caused by heavy and long-term exposure to asbestos.

Ucatt is now running a postcard protest so supporters can lobby the Ministry of Justice directly.

It is distributing more than 150,000 postcards to union members and others concerned about last year's decision.

But the clock is ticking for those affected, says an asbestos victim and a union boss.

Experts say one in seven of those diagnosed with pleural plaques will develop mesothelioma, a cancerous tumour of the lung which gives sufferers a life expectancy of a little over a year.

Abestos-related illnesses have hit Wearside hard because of its industrial past. Asbestos-related cancer kills more people in Sunderland than almost anywhere else in the country, according to the Health and Safety Executive.

The city is among the worst nationally for deaths from mesothelioma.
Last year more than 2,000 people died of the disease, with 144 in the North East.

It is expected that deaths could be as high as 10,000 a year by 2020.