A GARDEN could become a place of tranquillity where people who have died from the Swindon Disease can be remembered.

The garden, at Swindon's Queen's Park, could be restored as a permanent reminder of the victims of mesothelioma.

The whole project would cost between £5,000 and £10,000, but would act as a simple and appropriate memorial that could also be enjoyed by people who use the park.

Yesterday we highlighted the shameful lack of official recognition for the hundreds of former railway workers who have fallen victim to the disease.

This week we will be writing to companies who have benefited from railway works either directly or indirectly asking them if they would contribute to the money needed to restore the gardens.

Our campaign has been backed by incoming Swindon Mayor Stan Pajak.

"To remember them is the right thing to do, but I want to remember them in a positive way," said Coun Pajak. "A garden would both improve a part of the park that's not being used and give people somewhere to go and remember their loved ones."

Coun Pajak (Lib Dem, Eastcott) has come up with the £10,000 price tag for the memorial garden after speaking with the town's own ground force, Swindon Services.

The old rose garden, close to the former hothouse in the park, was dug up almost a decade ago after the roses there became diseased.

And Coun Pajak has a vision of replacing it with a garden catering for all four senses, including a water feature, sweet-smelling flowers, and hedges to stop scents from blowing away.

He welcomed the fact that some local businesses, such as victims' solicitors Thring Townsend, have already pledged to find some cash for the appeal, and urged others to join in.

First Great Western, which has inherited the name of the town's famous rail company, has pledged to consider supporting the campaign.

But McArthur Glen, the owners of the hugely successful Great Western Designer Outlet Village based at the former railway workshops, has declined to come up with any cash. Its spokeswoman, Iona Carter, said the firm does not have a budget to support community projects.

Mesothelioma is an agonising form of cancer brought on by exposure to asbestos.

Swindon is already one of the worst mesothelioma black spots in the country, mainly because of its historic railway works, where workers were commonly exposed to asbestos before its risks became widely known.

Hundreds, and perhaps thousands of people who helped make Swindon the town it is have already died of the disease.

And thousands more are likely to follow in the next decade, with Government statistics predicting a six fold increase in the mesothelioma death rate.

Would you support a memorial to mesothelioma victims? What should it be and where should it go? Call Andy Blizzard on (01793) 528144 ext 338 or email editor@newswilts.co.uk.