EXPOSURE to asbestos led to the death of Rossendale electrician Roy Waite.

Mr Waite, of Crabtree Avenue, Waterfoot, died in Burnley General Hospital on March 24. He was 61.

Although his contact with asbestos could have been at any time over 30 or more years, it was only about 18 months ago that Mr Waite began to have problems with his lungs, his sister Valerie Trickett told an inquest at Burnley.

Mrs Trickett, of Foxhill Drive, Whitewell Bottom, said he had never been diagnosed as having asbestosis.

He had been going for tests and had three scans but the doctors "could not find anything''.

Mr Waite, a single man, had worked for various local firms as a maintenance electrician. For the last 20 or so years up until being made redundant two years ago he worked in a mainly administrative job with Rossendale Council.

Pathologist Dr Abdul Al-Dawoud said Mr Waite had died from a malignant tumour most likely caused by asbestos.

The asbestos count in his lungs was fairly low.

Recording a verdict that Mr Waite died from a malignant tumour due to exposure to asbestos, East Lancashire Coroner David Smith said it was not known if it was linked with his employment at any time.

He had never claimed from the DSS because he had not known that he had asbestosis, said Mr Smith.

After talking with a solicitor who specialises in industrial disease cases, Mrs Trickett said the family did not want to take the matter further especially as there were no dependants.

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