A RETIRED builder died after contracting cancer caused by asbestos.

David Evans, of Tintagel Close, Andover, died at his home on June 12, this year, aged 77 of lung cancer. 

On Monday at Winchester Coroner’s Court an inquest held into Mr Evans’ death heard that between 1973 and 1996 he worked as a builder in and around Andover. 

His son Richard said that his dad could have been exposed to asbestos a number of times. 

“I am in exactly the same position, I was a bricklayer for 37 years, I know for a fact that I was exposed to asbestos,” he said. 

Richard added that he had worked with his dad in the early 1980s and neither he nor his dad were given any protection. 

The inquest was told that Mr Evans was first treated for lung fibrosis in 2005 as a result of previous exposure to asbestos and was examined in 2016 for concerning weight loss.

In 2017 he was given chemotherapy and radiotherapy, but in February of this year there was a suggestion that he may have had a reoccurance of lung cancer. 

In June it was decided that only palliative care could be given, and Mr Evans died on June 12.  During the inquest his family spoke of the shock about how quickly he deteriorated.

Mr Evans’ son Andrew said: “It was a shock that he died so quickly. No one informed me how serious he was. It was a big shock, you hear about hospices when people have got cancer, you go in there and get cared for, there was none of that.”

Andrew added that his father was “struggling to breath a lot of the time” but he did not realise the severity of Mr Evans’ illness. 

Senior coroner Grahame Short said that Mr Evans died of an industrial disease, adding: “As a result of his work he handled, sawed asbestos products and cut them. He inhaled the dust from the products.”