Asbestos scandal whistleblower: I'll fight on for justice

Gag order lifted after builder Springfield fined £10k over health & safety issues

- BY JOHN FERGUSON

A WHISTLEBLOWER has vowed to lift the lid on an asbestos scandal at one of Scotland's biggest house-builders after being awarded £558,000 in court.

Martin McGowan, 63, sued Springfield Properties after it obtained a gagging order against him over his claims the deadly dust had been buried under housing estates across Scotland.

The Groundworks subcontractor said he and his team were instructed to unwittingly tear down buildings full of asbestos before using the material as backfill on newbuild estates.

The Sunday Mail previously revealed Martin's claims Springfield knew about the asbestos but let staff work on contaminated sites as well as spreading the material around the country.

The court heard the firm had taken out an interdict to stop McGowan repeating damaging claims - a move he argued led to him being blacklisted in the building sector.