A FORMER roofer fighting for cash to pay for treatment for cancer he contracted at work has won the support of Colchester MP Bob Russell.

A judge has ordered insurers to make a £50,000 interim payment to David Mahoney, 50, to fund life-prolonging treatment because he fears he has only months to live.

BAI Claims, the company handling his claim, refused and is unlikely to pay up until the Supreme Court has ruled, possibly 18 months from now.

Mr Russell is pushing for a special hearing to rule urgently on the case. He said: “I’m hopeful it will help the case be resolved quickly.”

Mr Mahoney, a father-of-five of Scarfe Way, Greenstead, was exposed to asbestos in 1976, while in his first job after leaving school.

He was later diagnosed with the lung condition, mesothelioma.

His employer, builder Myton, has since folded and so has its insurer, leaving claims to be dealt with by BAI Claims.

Since 2008, the firm has refused to handle claims such as Mr Mahoney’s, arguing the policies had expired by the time the mesothelioma manifested itself.

Earlier this month, the Court of Appeal found in favour of Mr Mahoney, but gave BAI leave to appeal.

Mr Mahoney’s lawyer, John Green, said an appeal was almost certain.

He added: “I have no news on whether they have actually submitted that appeal yet, but it’s highly likely they’re going to appeal against this.

“The reality is they don’t have to do anything and there’s nothing we can do about it.”

Mr Mahoney told the Gazette earlier this month he had been “destroyed” by the cancer took hold four years ago.

No one from BAI Claims responded to our requests for a comment.