The family of a former shipwright who died of the asbestos-related disease mesothelioma has received £112,000 in compensation.

The man worked for the Ministry of Defence at HM Dockyards in Devonport as an apprentice shipwright from 1941 to 1946. During this time he was exposed to asbestos while removing the deadly substance from ships. He was neither provided with protective clothing nor warned about the dangers of working with asbestos.

Afterwards, the man joined the Royal Navy and later became a teacher. It wasn’t until many years after his initial exposure to asbestos that his mesothelioma was diagnosed. Unfortunately, there is no cure for the disease and sufferers often die soon after their diagnosis, as did this former shipwright.

Mesothelioma is a cancer of the tissues lining the body’s internal organs and is most commonly caused by the inhalation of asbestos dust. Consequently, workers most at risk from developing it include pipe fitters, motor mechanics, joiners, builders and electricians. Symptoms include a persistent cough, rapid weight loss, pain in the chest and abdomen as well as nausea.

Figures recently published by the Health and Safety Executive show that Leeds, Warrington and Plymouth are the UK’s worst ‘hotspots’ for asbestos-related deaths. 373 men in Plymouth died from mesothelioma between 1981 and 2005. Many of these worked at Devonport Dockyard, working with asbestos and breathing in the dust on a daily basis.