£116,000 for teacher's mesothelioma death

The relatives of Tameside teacher John Murphy, killed as a result of exposure to asbestos in his classroom, have received compensation.

Janis Bradbury, John's sister and executor of his estate, sought help from teaching union the Association of Teachers and Lecturers (ATL) when the inquest into Mr Murphy's death found it was work-related.

ATL said when first diagnosed, both John and Janis suspected instantly the cause was asbestos exposure at Hartshead High School, where John had worked for 16 years.

The school had removed asbestos in the 1980s after discovering it was flaking off the ceilings, said ATL. As a result of rapid expansion in the 1970s, Hartshead High had built temporary classrooms like prefabs with moveable walls. Both John and Janis believed it was in moving these walls backwards and forwards that John was exposed to asbestos.

The case took over three years until Tameside Borough Council admitted liability.

'ATL did a fantastic job but if John had been alive the case would have been dealt with quicker,' Janis said, 'so it's vital to act quickly.' HSE this year issued updated guidance for schools, warning teachers not to pin or tack pupils' work to walls or ceilings containing asbestos.

HSE figures show 147 education staff, half of them teachers, died of the asbestos cancer mesothelioma in the decade from 1991 to 2000

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