A FORMER serviceman died after being exposed to asbestos dust during his time in the navy nearly 40 years ago, an inquest heard.

John Phillips, of Guinions Road, High Wycombe, was a naval engineer from 1960 to 1966 and at one stage of his career was involved in repairing some steam pipes lagged with asbestos.

Richard Hulett, Coroner for Buckinghamshire, said that most of Mr Phillips' "service was in relation to engine and boiler room facilities".

He added: "The probability was that he was contaminated by breathing in dust by sawing through asbestos lagging.

"People in those days were ignorant of the danger."

Dr Yoon Chia, a consultant pathologist for the South Bucks NHS Trust, said that white tumour tissue was completely enclosing the left lung.

She gave the cause of death as malignant mesothelioma.

Mr Phillips, who was born in Westminster, London, died on Boxing Day last year.

He worked for Euroweb, a High Wycombe based agency for the sale and installation of printing machinery.

Summing up, he said that the disease seemed to have spread very rapidly, in months rather than years.

He recorded a verdict of death from an industrial disease.