A PENSIONER has died two years after trying to sue the Government for up to £200,000 damages, claiming he was exposed to asbestos while working as a fitter at a prison.

Geoffrey Dixon began suffering breathing problems and was eventually diagnosed with malignant mesothelioma, a cancer that develops in the lungs, in January 2013.

He died in February this year, a inquest in Bradford heard yesterday.

The 70-year-old retired engineer, of Peach Walk, East Bowling, had worked for more than a decade worked at Armley prison in Leeds but had also worked at a number of firms, including gasket makers Clough & Woods in Bradford, where he was also exposed to asbestos, the hearing was told.

Until his diagnosis he was fit and active, enjoying good health, running marathons and coaching football and cricket teams.

Mr Dixon had palliative surgery in 2015 but his condition worsened. He was admitted to Bradford Royal Infirmary on February 5 this year with a cardiac arrest due to his malignant mesothelioma and died ten days later surrounded by his family.

Concluding that Mr Dixon had died from industrial disease, Coroner Martin Fleming said: “More likely than not, it was the asbestos that caused and brought about this terrible industrial disease.”

In 2015 Mr Dixon claimed compensation from the National Offender Management Service, which is part of the Ministry of Justice.

In a writ filed at London’s High Court, his lawyers claimed his illness was the result of asbestos exposure during his time working at the jail.

The writ alleged that Mr Dixon’s job involved maintaining asbestos-lagged boilers for five years from March 1992.

He then carried out general maintenance tasks, which included working in the roof where pipes lagged with asbestos were in poor condition and fibres were airborne, the writ stated.

His legal team claims he was not provided with any form of protection or information about the dangers before 2005.

Mr Dixon’s lawyers at Irwin Mitchell alleged his illness, which they said had shortened his life expectancy by about 14 years, was caused by negligence of the National Offender Management Service.

However, in a brief defence, filed by Government lawyers, the NOMS admitted it bore responsibility for Mr Dixon’s health and safety while he worked at the prison but made no admissions regarding his claims about his working conditions and practices, the extent of his financial loss, or what caused his illness.