A FORMER British Celanese worker died after being exposed to asbestos, an inquest has heard.

Ronald Hewkin was employed as a process worker at the Spondon powder-making plant for 20 years, until he retired in 1998.

In January 2005 he was diagnosed with malignant mesothelioma – a form of cancer which affects the lungs and is most commonly caused by exposure to asbestos.

He was given a maximum of nine months to live but amazed his family by fighting the disease for another four years.

At an inquest into his death, held at Derby and South Derbyshire Coroner's Court, assistant deputy coroner Paul McCandless said he was satisfied that Mr Hewkin had been exposed to asbestos and recorded a verdict of death by industrial disease. The hearing marked the end of nearly five years of uncertainty for Mr Hewkin's family.

His wife Sylvia said the diagnosis in 2005 had come as a complete shock.

She said: "He was never ill and had hardly ever been to the doctors. Then he got a bad cough in December 2004.

"When we were told he only had nine months we couldn't believe it. We knew about asbestos but had never heard of mesothelioma."

The couple married in 1960 after meeting in Mrs Hewkin's home town of Alnwick, Northumberland, where Derby-born Mr Hewkin was serving with the RAF. They returned to Derby later that year and went on to have two sons, Ronald, now 48, and Leslie, 46.

Mr Hewkin began working as a joiner, which he had done before entering the RAF, for Rawsons builders, before joining British Celanese, now Courtaulds, as a process worker in 1978.

In a statement given to his solicitor shortly after his diagnosis, which was read out at the inquest, he described the working conditions he encountered at the firm.

He said: "Later in life I was working at the powder-making plant and I'm sure that was the source of the asbestos I was exposed to.

"The pipe-fitters were always carrying out repair work, knocking off asbestos lagging and the dust would get everywhere. Relagging was permanently taking place.

"Although I didn't realise it at the time, I think I would have been exposed to asbestos."

After his diagnosis, Mr Hewkin underwent radiotherapy and three-monthly check-ups, during which an X-ray showing the growth of the cancer was taken.

Mr Hewkin died on March 14. Mrs Hewkin, 71, said: "When he was told he had nine months it really changed him.

"He had always been very active and always doing DIY jobs around the house but after the operation he couldn't do as much, which frustrated him."

As well as his wife and sons he leaves six grandchildren.

No one from British Celanese was available for comment.