A Hampshire widow whose husband died from an asbestos-related disease is looking for answers two years on. 

Pamela Warren is searching for information after her husband John contracted mesothelioma, a form of cancer, leading to a "horrendous" deterioration in his condition before he died.

John, who worked as a joiner and carpenter, died aged 79 in September 2022.

He lived with his wife in the Wallington area of Fareham having begun work aged 15 and retired after a long and varied career which included making windows and working on luxury yachts.

But now Pamela has appealed to anyone who may have worked with him at two of his employers - Marley Tiles in Portsmouth and Portsmouth Council - in the 1960s to help find out when he was exposed to asbestos. 

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She said: “When we discovered John had mesothelioma, we were shocked.

"It had been years since John has worked anywhere where he could have been exposed to asbestos, and he had retired at the age of 63.

“We just didn’t understand it. His symptoms came so quickly and his decline was extraordinarily quick.

"He was an absolutely wonderful man and I feel absolutely lost without him. I still have so many questions about how this has happened.

“I know it is a long time ago, but it would mean an incredible amount to me if anyone who worked with John could come forward with any information about when and how he contracted this horrible illness.”

John worked at Marley Tiles from 1965 to 1966 and in a workshop and housing maintenance at Portsmouth Council, between 1968 and 1970.

He had been enjoying a happy retirement filled with playing the piano, snorkelling on holiday and coastal path walking in Devon and Cornwall when he first went to his GP with a cough and pain in his side in 2022.

Within a year, he was in enormous pain, breathless and experienced severe fatigue.

He lost a lot of weight through not wanting to eat and needed the support of carers four times a day in his final weeks.  

Pamela added: “There was absolutely no hint of anything when he was working or in all the years since.

"John would have had no idea he was being exposed to something that would make his last months so cruel.

“He kept himself so fit and healthy, but in the end, he was so exhausted with no energy at all. His suffering was horrendous and it was absolutely awful to see him like that. I am still trying to come to terms with it.

“He died on our living room sofa – we were promised a hospital bed to help keep him comfortable at home as he deteriorated, we even moved furniture out of our living room waiting for it to arrive, but that never happened.

"I am still so angry and upset to think of his final weeks spent like that.

“If anyone can help us, I would be so pleased and so grateful to hear from them.”

Madelene Holdsworth, principal lawyer in the industrial disease team at Slater and Gordon, is supporting Pamela in her search for answers.

She added: “John worked hard all his life, unwittingly being exposed to asbestos during part of it which would then go on and cause him a cruel and untimely death.

"We want to support Pamela in understanding where and why this happened.

“We would appeal to anyone who worked with John at either Marley Tiles or Portsmouth Council during this period or has any information which may help us in our investigations, to get in touch.

"This would help Pamela greatly during a hugely traumatic time for her and her family, and would help us establish exactly what happened to her beloved husband.”

Portsmouth City Council confirmed it had received a claim from solicitors about the case but said it was unable to comment at this time. 

Marley Tiles was also approached for comment but did not respond.

Anyone with information that could help can contact Ellie Andrews on ellie.andrews@slatergordon.uk