A former employee of the Ministry of Defence (MoD) has been awarded £65,000 in damages after he developed asbestosis.

Alan Cox, 85, worked in dockyards and on ships where he was repeatedly exposed to asbestos. This first occurred when he worked for the MoD at the Chatham dockyards in Kent between 1940 and 1943. After serving in the Royal Air Force, Mr Cox returned to the dockyards in order to complete an apprenticeship. In 1957 he went to work in Rosyth dockyard in Scotland, where he worked on a major refit of HMS Caesar, supervising the removal of asbestos from the ship’s boilers and pipes.

In 2007, Mr Cox developed pneumonia and was later diagnosed with asbestosis. Asbestosis is a chronic lung condition that results in breathing difficulties. It occurs when asbestos fibres are inhaled, causing a thickening and scarring of the tissue in the lungs. Those who have been exposed to asbestos over long periods of time are most at risk and sufferers may go on to develop lung cancer or mesothelioma.

Mr Cox had been a keen walker but is no longer physically capable of strenuous exercise.

After Mr Cox made a personal injury claim, the MoD admitted liability and an out-of-court settlement of £65,000 has now been agreed. Mr Cox, however, retains the right to claim further compensation should his condition worsen.