A RETIRED Hampshire electrician died after spending much of his life working completely unprotected around asbestos, an inquest heard.

John Carter, 70, developed a fatal tumour in his lung after breathing in the lethal fibres at a time when its danger was not recognised.

The Daily Echo revealed last week that an estimated two people die in Hampshire every week from an asbestos-related disease.

The biggest workplace killer in the UK claims more lives than road traffic accidents.

Winchester Coroner's Court heard how Mr Carter died at his home in Goring Field, Teg Down, near the city, on May 10 this year.

His wife of 46 years, Rita Carter, told the inquest: "I can remember that when he was an apprentice, and afterwards, the company that he worked for had quite big contracts.

They did a lot of county work, hospitals, shops, schools and, it was all with asbestos.

"He did say to me he came into contact with all the asbestos, the grey, the blue and the white. All the ceilings and ducts were clad in asbestos so when he was working it was all over him and I can remember washing it from his overalls."

She added: "He said he was never offered any protection.

In the later years he could remember when they did find asbestos, everything was shut down and everyone had to depart."

Mr Carter trained as an apprentice in Bromley, Kent, and moved to Winchester with his wife in 1961, where he worked for Dicks, a local electrical firm.

Mr Carter did not find out he was ill until several months before his death after he developed breathing problems.

An X-ray revealed his left lung had collapsed. Although it was re-inflated, he caught the MRSA bug in hospital and was later readmitted with further breathing problems.

Mrs Carter said they were never told that her husband had contracted mesothelioma but added: "I think John knew."

Recording a verdict of death by industrial disease, central Hampshire coroner, Grahame Short, said: "He was working at a time when the danger of asbestos exposure wasn't realised. Asbestos fibres and dust can remain in the lungs for many years before they cause the particular type of cancer called mesothelioma. There is evidence that these fibres were in his lungs."

Offering his condolences to Mrs Carter, he added: "It's a terrible disease and far too many men die from it."

Mrs Carter said: "It's quite awful and quite frightening. It makes you think what are we using today that is going to do the same thing?"