A RETIRED civil engineer from Lyndhurst died as a consequence of exposure to asbestos on dusty building sites.

Winchester Coroner’s court heard how Garry Clatworthy of Ringwood Road, Stoney Cross was exposed to the hazardous substance while working on various sites between 1971 and 1990.

In a statement given before his death the 69-year-old described working condition on site as “dusty and dirty.”

Mr Clatworthy was diagnosed with progressive malignant mesothelioma in March 2017, an aggressive form of lung cancer which often develops as a result of exposure to asbestos.

Mr Clatworthy died at Southampton General Hospital on December 19, 2017.

Senior Coroner Grahame Short said that in the balance of probabilities Mr Clatworthy had died as a result of his exposure to asbestos and recorded a verdict of death by industrial disease.