Northampton woman dies from asbestos cancer mesothelioma

A retired nurse died from asbestos poisoning after contracting the disease by hand washing her partner's work overalls. An inquest held at Northampton General Hospital heard that Myrtle Octavia Gordon inhaled the deadly fibres by cleaning the clothes of her partner, who worked in a Northamptonshire factory for 25 years, or from a short spell working in a car parts factory in Birmingham.

Speaking after yesterday's inquest, the family said they were convinced the 74-year-old, who lived in Orchard Green, The Headlands, Northampton, contracted the disease at home. Her son Trevor said: "It seems to be the most likely cause. We've investigated all the other avenues, but washing the clothes by hand was something my mother remembers vividly."

He added: "When we first found out we were very surprised to say the least. The fact is my mother always looked after herself. "She never smoked, never drank. She was a Christian lady, so it was quite a shock."

Ms Gordon, who had four children, first became ill in March 2004 when she was hospitalised for septicaemia. Although she recovered doctors suspected she was suffering from another illness and discovered she had mesothelioma a year later. Her daughter Denise said: "If you think about when she must have contracted the disease, people didn't know about the dangers of it. To be honest, I'm not sure if there's enough awareness now."

Until she became ill, Ms Gordon led an active life in Northampton. She was a member of the Church of God of Prophecy in Perry Street, Abington, took part in a pensioners' forum and was a member of the African Caribbean Elders Services in Park Avenue North. After moving to Northampton in 1963, Ms Gordon worked as a nurse in St Edmund's Hospital. She later worked as a stores administrator at Northampton College in Booth Lane. She died at her home on February 21. Her partner died of cancer, the family said, and the official cause was put down to smoking.

Anne Pember, coroner for Northamptonshire, ruled Ms Gordon died from an industrial disease. She said: "This is a horrendous disease, sadly from which there is no cure."

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