Anne Craig, from St Joseph's Court, Hebburn, received £10,000 in compensation after her husband David died from mesothelioma in February 2002.

But she says she finds it "shocking" that people in Scotland receive tens of thousands of pounds more in compensation.

Her comments follow the Government's decision to increase bereavement compensation by £1,800 in England and Wales, to £11,800.

But Scottish widows and widowers of mesothelioma victims receive up to £30,000 compensation for bereavement.

Mrs Craig has backed a campaign by Newcastle-based Thompsons Solicitors to bridge the compensation gap between England, Wales and Scotland.

She said: "This announcement is like a slap in the face for the families of people who have died from asbestos diseases." Mrs Craig added: "No amount of money can bring David back, but the level of compensation paid for bereavement should reflect the loss suffered.

"It is unjust that people in Scotland are receiving more compensation than those in England and Wales.

"It should be the same system across the UK."

Mr Craig, a super-fit cyclist, was just 54 when he died from the disease he contracted after working as an electrician at Swan Hunter, Wallsend.

But he did not discover he had the killer disease until more than 30 years after his initial exposure to asbestos dust.

Mrs Craig added: "The system in England needs to change to take into account the relatives of those who have died.

"Under our current system, David's family, including our son David, cannot claim for bereavement, even though their suffering has been as great as mine.

"I support Thompsons Solicitors in their campaign, and hope that they are successful in bringing justice to asbestos families across the UK."
Ian McFall, head of asbestos policy at Thompsons Solicitors, has slammed the £1,800 increase in compensation for bereavement in England and Wales as "an insult."

This follows an announcement by the Government that the level of bereavement damages paid under the Fatal Accidents Act 1976 will rise from £10,000 to £11,800 from January 1 – the first increase since 2002.

Mr McFall said: "This increase in bereavement compensation, announced by the Government, is just not good enough.

"It fails to address the widening gap between the way the law treats asbestos victims, compared to the more humanitarian approach of the law in Scotland.

"Here, widows and widowers are still only entitled to a fraction of the compensation for bereavement that would be paid in Scotland, while the grief and sorrow of other family members in England and Wales is not recognised at all."