Rise in unknown causes of asbestos deaths

Kathleen Dolling, 78, of West View, Chesham, died on November 18 of mesothelioma - a cancer caused by exposure to asbestos.
Relatives did not know how she came into contact with asbestos, the court heard. Mr Hulett said it could be up to 40 years after contact with asbestos before someone develops the disease. He said :"Where there's no connection that can be pinned down, what I do is record an open verdict,- that she developed this disease and died of it. I think she probably did come into contact with asbestos dust in some way we probably don't know about."
Arthur Wells, 83, of Weedon Lane, Amersham, died on November 19 - also of mesothelioma
Tests on his lungs less than a month before his death confirmed the presence of the disease. The court was told he had worked as a quantity surveyor for various London councils, which involved him viewing construction sites. Mr Hulett added: "I've got some suspicion this was something to do with it but isn't nothing more than guesswork and suspicion.
"We are getting more and more of these cases and the origins are as obscure as they often are."