A RETIRED builder who died from respiratory failure was the victim of industrial disease, an inquest has heard.

Leonard Pinnock, 88, of Knighton Close, Hereford, died on May 12 at Hereford County Hospital from respiratory failure.

Mr Pinnock’s daughter explained at the inquest that her father had worked for a number of building companies from 1961 onwards at a time when the use of asbestos in building materials was common.

She said: “He was never careless and always did things properly so would never have used asbestos if he knew the danger.”

The inquest heard that Mr Pinnock had a definite history of asbestos exposure when running his own building company ad working on building sites abroad.

Summing up, coroner Mark Bricknell stated that Mr Pinnock died from respiratory failure as a result of lung cancer.

Mr Bricknell recorded a conclusion of death caused by industrial disease and passed on his condolences to the family of Mr Pinnock.