A FORMER shipyard worker from Grange died as a result of mesothelioma caused by  asbestos exposure, an inquest heard.

The inquest, which took place at Barrow Town Hall yesterday, concerned the death of Thomas Malcolm Blakemore, 81, formerly of Allithwaite Road, who died at his home address on October 4 last year.

The hearing was to establish whether Mr Blakemore had died as a result of asbestos exposure in his work in as an engineer in his earlier years.

Mr Robert Chapman, assistant coroner for South Cumbria, said: "The issue in relation to his death is whether he died as a result of industrial disease."

It was heard that Mr Blakemore undertook a six-year apprenticeship in 1952 as an engineer for Vickers in Barrow after leaving school.

Following this spell, Mr Blakemore then spent four years from 1958 to 1962 as an engineer for the merchant navy.

It was believed by Mr Chapman that it was during this time that Mr Blakemore would have been exposed to asbestos in his work with Vickers and the merchant navy.

Following his death, a report from a pathologist who examined Mr Blakemore said that fragments of asbestos bodies were on his lungs.

In the hearing, Mr Blakemore's son, Malcolm, said his father was aware of the hazardous nature of his work and that he made sure that none of his family could be affected by it.

He said: "He was aware of the toxicity and he wanted to make sure that we were never near it."

Mr Chapman added: "We know that he spent six years at Vickers as an engineer and it is likely during that period of time he would have been exposed to asbestos.

"He spent four years in the merchant navy as an engineer and the ships at that time were kitted out with pipes and lines with asbestos in them.

"He may have also, during that four-year period, come into contact with asbestos."

The assistant coroner concluded that, on the basis of evidence, Mr Blakemore had died as the result of mesothelioma and asbestos exposure.